707 Lofts, 707 Dovercourt Rd: Compact Suites and an Inclusive Fee

707 Lofts is one of the more affordable ways into a condo near Bloor and Dovercourt, and the reason is the size of the suites. It is a five-storey, 77-suite building with mostly compact studios, one-bedrooms and small two-bedrooms, and a fee that covers more than most. The layouts are the thing to study before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Five storeys, cut down from eight

The site was a funeral home on Dovercourt and a row of houses beside it. Enirox Group, a builder better known for large single-family homes, first proposed a taller building and reduced it to five storeys after community input. The result fits the scale of the street better than most new condos in the area.

TACT Architecture designed it, the same firm behind The Carnaby at Queen and Gladstone. Here the brief was very different: a low, compact building on a residential street rather than a tower on a main road.

A five-storey building also has practical advantages. There are fewer suites per floor than in a tower, so hallways are quieter, and the lower height means the building reads as part of the street rather than standing over it. The cost is less sky view; this is a building of street-level outlooks.

The building has two elevators for 77 suites, which is a good ratio. In a five-storey building with one elevator, a single breakdown means stairs for everyone; two gives you a backup.

Compact suites, and the layouts to watch

Condos.ca gives a range of about 384 to 949 square feet, across studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms and two-bedroom-plus-den plans. Ceilings were marketed at nine to ten feet, which helps the smaller suites feel less tight.

When the building launched, blogTO was critical of some layouts. It described narrow suites with limited natural light, and some one-bedroom plans where the bedroom had no window. Not every suite has these issues, but it is worth checking every plan carefully.

Before you make an offer, look at the width of the suite, where the windows are and whether the bedroom has a window to the outside or only a sliding door or interior glass. Visit during the day, not only in the evening. A suite with a terrace, where available, changes the picture considerably.

Some suites were marketed with private terraces, and the launch materials described one two-bedroom with roughly 224 square feet of outdoor space. If outdoor space matters, filter for those suites specifically.

Studios at the bottom of the range, under 400 square feet, are best treated as a pied-à-terre or a first step. They can be good rentals, but they are hard to live in long-term for two people, and resale buyers for them are mostly investors and single first-time buyers.

A fee that includes more than most

Condos.ca lists the fee as covering common elements, heat, air conditioning, water, building insurance and parking. Including air conditioning and parking is uncommon for a building of this age, and it simplifies your monthly costs.

Hydro is not listed as included, so budget for it separately. Note too that parking appears in the fee, but that does not mean every suite has a space. Confirm that the suite you are considering has an owned parking spot and whether a locker comes with it, since lockers were sold separately at launch.

An inclusive fee also means owners share the building’s energy bills. If gas or electricity rates rise, everyone’s fee goes up, however careful you are with the thermostat. Look at the last few years of budgets to see how much of the fee goes to utilities and how quickly it has moved.

Condos.ca also flags a pet restriction. I could not find the specific rule, so read the declaration and the rules before you buy if you have a pet.

Just south of Bloor

Dovercourt Road here is a residential street a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Bloorcourt on Bloor West, with Christie Pits a few blocks west. It is a quieter location than the College or Dundas buildings in this area, and the Bloor West shopping strip is the daily centre of gravity.

The data panel on this page has the transit, school and park details.

The lowest price per square foot in this group

Condos.ca puts the 707 Lofts average at about $819 per square foot. That is the lowest of the mid-rises I have reviewed across Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy, below Nero at about $855, The Carnaby at about $921 and IT Lofts at about $988.

Some of that discount reflects the small suite sizes and the layout concerns. It also reflects a location north of the main College and Ossington strips. With heat, air conditioning, water and parking in the fee, the total monthly cost of ownership is easier to predict than in most buildings.

At launch, blogTO reported that most suites were priced at around $550 per square foot. The building average today is roughly half again higher, which is a fair reflection of how this part of the city has moved over the decade, not a sign of unusual growth.

Only one suite was for sale at the time of writing, so there is no meaningful range to quote. For recent sold figures, see the data panel on this page or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 707 Lofts

The amenities are minimal: a party room, a meeting room and an outdoor BBQ area. There is no gym or concierge listed, which is part of why the fee can cover so many utilities without being high.

Jatin’s honest take on 707 Lofts

707 Lofts — 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.