The Bentley, 55 Lombard St: A 1926 Parking Garage Turned Condominium

The Bentley is a parking garage that became a home. The 1926 St. James Parking Garage at Church and Lombard was designed by the firm behind Union Station, housed Ontario’s first liquor store, and in 1982 was converted into one of Toronto’s early luxury condominiums. It is an unusual building, and unusual buildings reward buyers who do their homework. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

From parking garage to condominium

In the mid-1920s, as cars took over downtown, Toronto built multi-storey parking garages. The St. James Parking Garage at Church and Lombard was designed by Ross & Macdonald, the Montreal firm behind Union Station and Maple Leaf Gardens, in a simplified Art Deco style. It held about 500 cars and was built to be fireproof, with shops along Church and Lombard.

When prohibition ended in 1927, the province’s liquor board opened its very first store in the building, and it stayed about ten years. Car dealers and auto businesses followed, and by the late 1970s the garage was run-down.

Architect Ferdinand Wagner bought and rezoned the property for residential use, and the conversion was marketed in 1981 under the name The Bentley, a nod to the car. Accounts of the development partnership differ: one names London-based backers through Fairview Estates, while a marketing archive lists National Realty Corporation as the client, and condo records list Bentley Estates. Today it is described as the last of the 1920s parking garages left in Toronto.

Concrete bones and conventional suites

Because it was built to carry cars, the structure is unusually heavy. Early marketing claimed the floors were many times stronger than a residential building needs. In daily life that tends to mean good sound separation between floors, which is one of the things owners in concrete conversions value most.

The suites, though, are not hard lofts. Wagner later said he wanted exposed ducts and high concrete ceilings but had to design conventional suites to satisfy his financing. One owner who renovated described removing a dropped ceiling and finding about two feet of extra height above it. If you love the idea of a loft, ask what is above the ceiling in the suite you are viewing.

The building also has townhouse-style suites with Adelaide Street addresses, which give you a front door feel within the condominium. With only 77 suites in total, layouts vary a lot, so judge each one on its own plan.

A former garage also has a deep floor plate, because it was laid out for ramps and parking bays, not bedrooms. Conversions like this often produce suites where the interior rooms sit far from the windows. Stand in the back of the suite at midday and see how much daylight actually reaches it before you decide.

What the fee covers

The fee includes common elements, heat, air conditioning, water, building insurance and cable TV. Having both heat and cooling in the fee is useful, since in most newer buildings you pay for cooling through your own hydro bill. Hydro is not listed as included, so budget for it separately.

Parking is not listed in the fee, even though the building has a parking garage. If you need a space, confirm whether one is deeded or assigned to the suite and what it costs. In a building that was once a garage, that question sounds ironic, but it matters.

Small buildings spread every expense over fewer owners. With 77 suites and a structure nearly a century old, the reserve fund study is the most important document you will read here.

Church and Lombard, between the market and the cathedral

The location is excellent. St. James Cathedral and its park are steps away, St. Lawrence Market is a short walk south, and the financial district is a walk west. The Church Street corridor has restaurants, bars and the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts close by.

Lombard Street itself has seen new building, including the boutique Residences on Lombard and the 45-storey Spire tower nearby. That has refreshed the block, and it means The Bentley now sits among taller neighbours. Check what a suite’s windows face before you pay for light.

For a buyer who wants St. Lawrence without a tower, there are few alternatives this close to the cathedral. That scarcity is part of what you are paying for, and it is also why good suites here tend to be held for a long time.

Pricing a one-of-a-kind building

Sales here are infrequent, and with only one suite listed at the time of writing, I will not quote asking prices for this building. condos.ca does not publish a building average per square foot for The Bentley either.

In practice I price suites here against nearby buildings with a similar age and character, such as The Indigo at 50 Lombard at about $622 per square foot, and against newer buildings such as Spire and The Residences on Lombard, which trade far higher. Character, suite size and condition move value here more than the building average ever could.

If you want a realistic number for a specific suite, ask me for a comparison of recent sales nearby. For aggregate sold figures, see my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Bentley

Amenities are simple: a concierge and security, a party room, a meeting room and a rooftop deck. The rooftop is the standout in a six-storey building in the middle of downtown, and it is the kind of shared space that makes a small building feel like a community. There is no pool or large gym, which keeps one more big future expense off a small owners’ group.

Jatin’s honest take on The Bentley

The Bentley — 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.