Sword Street Lofts, 10 Sword St: 11 Hard Lofts in Quiet Cabbagetown

Sword Street Lofts is the loft for people who want Cabbagetown, not Queen Street. It is a red-brick 1940s industrial building with warehouse windows on a short, leafy residential street, converted in 1997 into just 11 large suites. Resales are rare, the suites are big and the street is quiet, which is exactly why it rarely comes up. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

From military suppliers to the Sword Street Press

The site once held semi-detached houses dating from the 1800s, which were replaced by the current building in the 1940s. Over the following decades it housed a string of industrial tenants, including military and aeronautics manufacturers, an elevator company and, in the 1970s, the Sword Street Press.

Peach-Pit Projects converted it to residential use in the late 1990s, creating 11 suites, and the corporation was registered in September 1997. That makes it one of the earliest loft conversions in this part of the city, and one of very few in Cabbagetown proper.

From the street it reads exactly as it was built: red brick and multi-paned warehouse windows on a block that is otherwise Victorian houses. Many of its early residents were artists and designers, and the lobby still displays art.

Its history also explains the art in the lobby. The building drew creative tenants long before it became a condominium, and the early owners kept that identity rather than replacing it with a generic finish.

Big suites, polished concrete and private terraces

Suites range from about 1,071 to 2,499 sq ft, so there is nothing small here. Even the one-bedroom plans are larger than many two-bedroom suites in new towers, and the bigger suites are effectively the size of a Cabbagetown house without the stairs and the yard work.

One recently featured suite had 12-foot ceilings, polished concrete floors, exposed ductwork, a gas fireplace and a separate laundry room. Ceilings, finishes and layouts will vary across 11 custom suites, so confirm the details of the one you are seeing.

Private outdoor space is the unusual part. At least some suites have their own terrace, which is rare in hard-loft buildings, and there is a shared rooftop terrace with a barbecue area as well.

Light is generally good, thanks to the large warehouse windows, but a suite’s exposure still matters on a narrow street lined with houses. Visit at the time of day you are most often home.

Because so few suites exist, the condition of each one varies widely. Some have been renovated several times, others are closer to the original conversion, so price and inspect them as individual homes.

Parking in a garage, in Cabbagetown

The building has a parking garage, and parking is listed among the fee inclusions. In a neighbourhood where many houses rely on permit street parking, a garage space included in your fee is a real advantage.

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, water and parking. Heat and hydro are not listed as included, so ask the seller for a year of utility bills, particularly for a large suite with concrete floors and tall ceilings.

Amenities beyond that are minimal: a security system, an entry phone and the rooftop. There is no concierge or gym, which is typical for a building of 11 suites and part of why fees stay manageable.

Ask whether the suite you are buying has its own garage space and whether it is owned or exclusive use. In an 11-suite building there is no spare inventory to rent from a neighbour if the suite comes without one.

A quiet street on the edge of Riverdale Park

Sword Street is a short, tree-lined residential street in south Cabbagetown, close to Riverdale Park West and Riverdale Farm, with the Don Valley trails beyond. You are walking among Victorian houses, many of them covered by Cabbagetown’s heritage conservation district rules, which helps keep the street’s character stable.

Parliament Street’s shops and restaurants are a few minutes west, and the Don Valley Parkway is close for drivers. The data panel on this page has the exact transit, school and park details.

For families, Riverdale Farm and the park are a real draw, with open space for children and dogs a short walk away rather than a drive.

To the south and west, the streetscape changes toward St. James Town and the busier Gerrard and Parliament corridors. Walk the routes you will use most at different times of day.

Scarce, large and fairly priced per foot

The building average is about $820 per square foot. Because suites are large, that means total prices well above a typical downtown condo, but per foot it is reasonable for a hard loft with garage parking in Cabbagetown.

Resales are rare. With 11 suites, years can go by with one sale or none, and a single sale can move the average a long way. I price suites here against other small east-end hard lofts and against Cabbagetown semis of similar size, since those are often the real alternative for a buyer.

The large minimum size also shapes resale. There are no small entry suites here, so your buyer is someone looking for 1,000 sq ft or more in Cabbagetown, often a downsizer or a couple trading a house for a loft. That pool is smaller but usually serious.

There are no suites listed for sale right now. If you want in, set up an alert and be ready to move when one appears. For recent sold and leased figures, see the data panel or my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Sword Street Lofts

The rooftop and the private terraces are the amenities that matter here. Daily life is about the street, the park and the size of the suite, not shared facilities.

Jatin’s honest take on Sword Street Lofts

Sword Street Lofts — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.