Ideal Lofts, 301 Markham St: Award-Noted architectsAlliance Soft Lofts

Ideal Lofts is the building I send people to when they say they want a real loft feel in Little Italy but do not want to give up an elevator, a garage or a predictable fee. It was finished in 2002, it is now more than 20 years old, and it has aged better than most buildings of that generation because it was designed carefully in the first place. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A building that borrowed from its neighbours

Ideal was developed by Context, a firm known for design-led condos, and designed by Peter Clewes, Prishram Jain and Robert Cadeau of architectsAlliance. Cecconi Simone and Crayon Design handled the interiors. It received an honourable mention at the City of Toronto’s 2003 Architecture and Urban Design Awards.

The design took its cues from three old warehouse buildings nearby, each with a strong red-brick base: 474 Bathurst Street, the Pedlar People Building across College, and the Ladies Wear Building at 559 College. The result is a brick and precast concrete building that reads as part of College Street rather than something dropped onto it, and the city has since cited it as a good example of a mid-rise that respects the houses behind it.

The name comes from the Ideal Restaurant Supply store that once stood on the site. A Shoppers Drug Mart now occupies the ground floor, which is a small daily convenience that owners tend to appreciate more than they expect.

Every floor is different, and two of them are two storeys

This is not a building of stacked identical suites. The floor plans vary floor by floor, and every suite has floor-to-ceiling windows. One-bedrooms run from roughly 514 to 700 square feet, one-plus-dens from about 700 to 800, two-bedrooms from about 800 to 1,300, and the penthouses from about 1,260 to 2,232.

The sixth and eighth floors hold two-storey lofts with glass and concrete terraces. Suites facing south or west have balconies or terraces, while north-facing suites have Juliet balconies. If outdoor space matters to you, orientation is the first filter to apply.

The views are a quiet strength. South-facing suites look out over the building’s own lower green roof and the back gardens of Markham Street, and many keep a slice of the lake. West and north, you see treetops and heritage buildings, and the low-rise streets around the building make those views unusually likely to last.

That design attention is why the building still comes up in planning discussions. Robert Freedman, then the City of Toronto’s director of urban design, described Ideal as part of a move toward better-designed condos, and the City of Ottawa’s design guidelines reference it as well. For a buyer, that reputation is more than trivia: well-regarded buildings tend to hold their appeal when the market is soft.

The fee covers almost everything

Condos.ca lists air conditioning, heat, water, building insurance, common elements and parking as included in the fee. That is a complete package. In most newer buildings, heat and cooling are metered to the suite and parking is a separate charge, so a straight fee comparison will make Ideal look more expensive than it really is.

The amenity list is deliberately short: a party and meeting room, underground parking, storage, barbecues permitted and a security system. There is no pool or gym to maintain, which is part of why the fee buys you utilities rather than facilities.

The building has two elevators, which matters more than it sounds in a 68-suite building with large penthouses and frequent move-ins. Condos.ca also flags a pet restriction, so check the rules if you have an animal.

College and Markham, day to day

You are at the eastern edge of Little Italy. College Street’s cafes, restaurants and bars run west from your door, Bathurst is a block east, and Trinity Bellwoods Park and Kensington Market are both an easy walk. Markham Street itself is a residential street of Victorian and Edwardian semis and row houses, with mature trees north of College.

Further north on Markham, the former Mirvish Village and Honest Ed’s site at Bloor is being rebuilt by Westbank with five apartment towers and a parkette. It is far enough away not to affect daily life at College, but it is changing the character of the Bathurst corridor.

College Street is busy and lively late, so suites on the north side will hear it. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools and walkability.

What Ideal Lofts costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $917 per square foot. That sits in the same range as other well-regarded boutique buildings in this part of the city, such as Abacus Lofts on Dundas at about $937, and below newer design-led projects like Motif on Ossington at about $1,138.

Only one suite was listed for sale when I wrote this, so I cannot give you a fair range of asking prices. That scarcity is typical here. With only 68 suites, you may wait months for the plan you want, and when the right suite appears it is worth moving quickly.

Price per square foot varies a lot inside this building. The two-storey lofts and terrace penthouses trade very differently from a north-facing one-bedroom, so compare like with like. Factor in the fee as well: because heat, cooling and parking are already included, the all-in monthly cost is often closer to newer buildings than the headline fee suggests. The automatic data panel shows recent aggregate results, and I can prepare a building sold report for a specific plan.

Building specifications

Amenities at Ideal Lofts

Ideal keeps its shared spaces simple so the fee can cover heat, cooling and parking instead. Owners here use College Street as their amenity, and the building is honest about that.

Jatin’s honest take on Ideal Lofts

Ideal 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.