109OZ, 109 Ossington Ave: A Six-Storey Loft Building on the Strip

109OZ is for people who want to live on Ossington, not near it. It is a six-storey loft building of dark brick and zinc at Argyle Street, with shops at the base and the strip’s restaurants in both directions. You pay for that address, and it shows in the price per square foot. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A building designed to look like four small ones

RAW Design, led by Roland Rom Colthoff, broke 109OZ into what reads as several smaller buildings along the street rather than one long slab. The storeys are staggered, and the facade is a mix of dark brick, zinc and glass, with more solid wall than glass. It was a deliberate choice to fit the low-rise scale of Ossington.

One unusual detail from the launch: purchasers were invited to help choose the colours of the balcony enclosures. That is why the facade has more variety than most buildings of its size, and why it does not look like a typical developer box.

Reserve Properties built 109OZ as an early mid-rise on this stretch of Ossington. At street level there is new retail along the avenue; the launch materials said about 105 feet of frontage, and UrbanToronto’s later database entry says about 150, so the sources do not agree on the exact length.

Loft-style suites, mostly with outdoor space

The suites are one- and two-bedroom loft-style layouts with open plans. Condos.ca gives a range of about 504 to 1,144 square feet, close to the 500 to 1,200 marketed at launch. There are no huge suites here, which keeps the owner mix fairly consistent.

UrbanToronto’s description says most suites have private outdoor space, and the balconies are recessed into the facade. Recessed balconies are more private and more sheltered than projecting ones, though they can reduce the light reaching the room behind them. Visit at the time of day you would actually use the suite.

I could not confirm ceiling heights from a reliable source, so check the floor plan and measure during a viewing. On parking, the published figures are not available, so do not assume a suite includes a space. Ask whether parking and a locker are owned and deeded with the suite.

Because the largest suites top out at a little over 1,100 square feet, this is not a building most families grow into. Buyers who need a third bedroom tend to move on, so expect a steady but small flow of one- and two-bedroom resales rather than larger homes.

A concierge in a six-storey building

Concierge service is uncommon in a building this small, and it is one of the reasons buyers choose 109OZ over other Ossington mid-rises. It helps with parcels and visitors, and it gives the building a staffed lobby on a busy street.

The cost of that is spread over fewer than 90 owners, which affects the fee. Condos.ca lists the fee as covering heat and water. Hydro is separate, and the listing does not mention building insurance or common elements explicitly, so read the status certificate budget to see the full picture.

Condos.ca does not list a property manager for 109OZ. Ask who manages the building and how long they have done so; in a small corporation, the quality of management shows quickly in how the common areas are kept.

A small concierge building also tends to have a strong sense of who lives there. Staff recognise residents, visitors are checked, and parcels do not pile up in the lobby. Ask what hours the concierge covers, since in some smaller buildings it is not a full 24-hour service, and that affects both security and cost.

Living on the Ossington strip

This part of Ossington, between Queen and Dundas, is one of the city’s best-known restaurant and bar streets, and Trinity Bellwoods Park is a few blocks east. You step out to cafés in the morning and dinner at night without a car.

That comes with evening activity and weekend crowds. Suites facing Ossington will hear it, especially in summer. If you are a light sleeper, look at suites facing away from the avenue and ask current residents about late nights.

109OZ launched in 2012 with a party and a pop concert, at a time when the strip was arguing about how much new building it wanted. Several mid-rises have joined it since, so Ossington now has more residents and more daytime traffic than when the first buyers signed.

The data panel on this page covers transit, schools, parks and nearby food in more detail.

Paying for the Ossington address

Condos.ca puts 109OZ’s average at about $972 per square foot. That is near the top for mid-rises in this area: above Nero on Dundas West at about $855 and The Carnaby at Queen and Gladstone at about $921, and close to IT Lofts on College at about $988.

Part of that premium is the street and part is the small, consistent suite mix, since compact suites tend to carry higher prices per square foot. With heat and water in the fee, the monthly carrying cost compares reasonably with buildings where only common elements are covered.

There were no suites for sale when I wrote this, and only one was listed for rent. Resale supply is thin in a building of this size. For recent sold figures, see the data panel on this page or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 109OZ

The package is small: a concierge, a party room and a second-floor terrace looking over the street. You are not buying 109OZ for its gym, since condos.ca does not list one; you are buying a staffed lobby and the street outside.

Jatin’s honest take on 109OZ

109OZ — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.