Sixty Colborne, 60 Colborne St: Rooftop Pool a Block From King and Church

Sixty Colborne is a mid-height tower in a neighbourhood of tall ones. Freed Developments built it on a former parking lot near King and Church, kept it to 25 storeys, and put a pool on the roof. It is a good building for someone who wants the St. Lawrence area at a human scale, but the fee covers less than most people assume. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A shorter tower, on purpose

When Sixty Colborne launched in 2013, blogTO teased it for being just 25 storeys in a part of downtown where towers were climbing past 40 and 50. That modest height is now one of its strengths. It fits better with the older buildings around King Street East and St. James Cathedral, and the building feels less like a vertical suburb than the giants nearby.

The site was a parking lot, so nothing historic was lost to build it. architectsAlliance, led by Peter Clewes, designed a tower that avoided the plain glass box, with colour accents that drew comment at launch. Johnson Chou handled the interiors.

blogTO’s launch review framed the project as a bet on King East over King West: fewer nightclubs, more architectural texture, St. James Cathedral and St. Lawrence Market nearby, and a less uniform mix of residents. Thirteen years on, I think that call has held up well, and it is the main reason buyers choose this pocket over the newer towers further west.

The design-led approach shows in the details buyers notice first: the lobby, the corridors and the finishes. Those are worth inspecting in person now that the building is several years into its life, because they show how well the corporation keeps up common areas.

The rooftop pool

The headline amenity is the outdoor pool on the roof, with a rooftop deck around it. Rooftop pools are still rare downtown, and because the building is only 25 storeys, the roof feels connected to the neighbourhood rather than floating above it.

It is a summer amenity in Toronto, so value it for what it is. Every owner pays for it year-round, and outdoor rooftop pools need regular maintenance and eventual membrane and equipment work. That cost belongs in your thinking, and in the reserve fund study.

Ask how the pool and deck are booked and how busy they get on summer weekends. In a 255-suite building it is usually manageable, but guest rules and hours make a big difference to whether you actually use it.

Layouts to look at carefully

At launch, suites ran from studios to two-bedrooms of about 440 to 1,422 square feet, with nine-foot ceilings; later marketing described one- to three-bedroom suites up to about 2,325 square feet, and condos.ca lists a range up to about 1,996. The larger suites are a small share of the building.

blogTO’s launch review called some layouts awkward, singling out an L-shaped one-bedroom with a bedroom nook and a corridor kitchen. That is a fair warning for any building of this era. Walk the suite, check that the bedroom has a real window and a door, and see whether the furniture you own will actually fit.

Nine-foot ceilings are standard for the period rather than a selling point, but they help the smaller suites. The larger two-bedrooms and upper suites are where this building is at its best, and they rarely come up, so if you want one, be ready to move when it lists. Ask about the exposure, too: a suite facing a taller neighbour will get less light than one looking over the older low-rise blocks.

The suite count changed during the project, too. blogTO’s 2013 specs listed 281 units, while the later marketing and condos.ca both list 255. If size matters for the suite you are looking at, confirm it against the registered condominium plan rather than marketing material.

Living near King and Church

This is one of the most livable pockets downtown. St. Lawrence Market, the theatres on Front Street and the restaurants of King East are a short walk, and the Financial District is close enough to walk to work. The transit panel on this page has the subway walking times.

Colborne itself is a short, quieter street than King or Church, which helps at night. The trade-off is that you are surrounded by taller towers, so the views from lower and mid floors depend heavily on direction.

What Sixty Colborne costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $890 per square foot. That is in line with newer buildings in the St. Lawrence and King East area.

Only two suites were for sale when I checked, asking from about $600,000 to about $1.2 million. Fees on those listings ran from about $651 to $1,367 a month, with three suites for lease.

Two listings are a thin sample, so I would not read too much into either number. With so few suites trading at once, recent sales matter more here than asking prices, and a well-laid-out one-bedroom can command a premium over a similar-sized awkward one.

The fee is where buyers get surprised. Condos.ca lists only common elements and building insurance as included, so heat, cooling, water and hydro are likely on your own bills, and parking was sold separately at launch. Add those to the fee before comparing with an older building where utilities are bundled. The launch estimate was about 57 cents per square foot; ask for the current budget and fee history. For past trades, see my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Sixty Colborne Condos

The package is compact but well chosen: concierge, gym, guest suites and a rooftop pool and deck. Beanfield Fibre is available, which is a real plus if you work from home.

Jatin’s honest take on Sixty Colborne Condos

Sixty Colborne Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at St. Lawrence, the Financial District and Downtown Yonge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.