Candy Factory Lofts, 993 Queen St W: The Loft That Started Queen West

The Candy Factory Lofts is the building most Toronto loft buyers already know by name, and for good reason. It turned the old Ce De Candy plant at Queen and Shaw into 121 big, open hard lofts in 2000, before West Queen West was anyone’s idea of a destination, and it still sets the standard nearby. It is also a 25-year-old conversion with fees to match, and I will be straight about both. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Rockets, Fizzers and a long road to lofts

The building is a yellow brick industrial block at the corner of Queen and Shaw. The Globe and Mail dates it to 1907 as a garment factory, while condos.ca’s overview places its origins in the 1930s, so treat the exact year as unsettled. What everyone agrees on is the candy: Ce De Candy, maker of the pastel Rockets rolls, moved in in 1963 and left for the suburbs in 1988.

The building then sat empty for years. The Globe reports that developer Harry Stinson began planning a Tribeca-style loft conversion in the mid-1990s, that financing was difficult, and that Brad Lamb later took over marketing. Condos.ca and other profiles list Metro Ontario Group as the developer of record. The conversion ran from 1998 to 2000, and the condominium was registered in August 2000.

The Architectural Conservancy Ontario lists Quadrangle Architects in connection with the building, without specifying the role, and notes that it has no heritage status. That last point matters less for daily life than you might think, but it does mean the facade is not protected the way a designated building’s would be.

What the suites are actually like

These are big, open spaces. Suite sizes run from roughly 900 sq ft to well over 3,500 sq ft, depending on the source, which is enormous by current standards. Most suites have very few interior walls, and many have no fully enclosed bedroom. Some plans are unusual because the designers had to work around the existing structure.

Ceilings are about 12.5 to 13 feet in most suites, with original sandblasted wood beams and ceilings, and much of the solid plank flooring survives. Interior brick and exposed pipes are typical, and plenty of owners have painted them white. One suite even absorbed part of the old freight elevator and kept its original door.

Open plans are the appeal and the challenge. Without walls, a loft this size is easy to furnish beautifully and hard to divide for a second bedroom or a home office with a door. Some owners have added partitions or glass walls over the years. If you plan to, ask the property manager what the corporation allows and what approvals you will need before you buy.

The penthouses are the prize. Most are large and come with private rooftop terraces that look across the city and toward Trinity Bellwoods Park. If outdoor space matters to you, focus there, because the floors below generally do not have it.

A full-service hard loft

What separates the Candy Factory from most conversions is service. It has a 24-hour concierge, a gym, a party and meeting room, guest suites and a rooftop deck. The Globe reports an underground parking garage, with spaces sold with individual suites, plus visitor parking. In a hard loft, that combination is rare.

It also explains the fee level. Staffing a concierge around the clock and maintaining a gym and guest suites costs money, and in a 121-suite building that cost is shared among fewer owners than in a tower. You are paying for a service level closer to a new condo inside a century-old shell.

Guest suites deserve a specific mention. In a building where many suites have open sleeping areas, a bookable guest suite means visiting family do not have to sleep in your living room, and that is a practical reason owners here stay put.

Queen and Shaw, then and now

When the lofts were sold, this end of Queen West was still rough around the edges. The Globe describes the opening of the Drake Hotel to the west and the wave of bars, restaurants and galleries that followed as the turning point. Today you step out onto one of the city’s best-known shopping and dining strips, with Trinity Bellwoods Park a short walk east.

That popularity cuts both ways. Weekends bring crowds, and Queen-facing suites hear the street. Suites facing Shaw or the rear tend to be quieter, so think about which you prefer before you look.

Pricing and fees at 993 Queen West

Condos.ca puts the building average around $1,102 per square foot, which is at the top end for hard lofts in this part of the city. Buyers pay that for the combination of real timber construction, big volumes, a concierge and the Queen and Trinity Bellwoods address.

There were three active listings when I wrote this, a one-bedroom and two two-bedroom suites, asking from about $1.09 million to about $1.7 million. Their monthly fees ran from roughly $840 to $1,340. Large suites mean large fees in absolute terms, so look at total monthly cost alongside the purchase price.

The fee covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, water and building insurance, which is a strong package. With heat and cooling included on suites this size, the fee is doing more work than it looks. Check whether parking is included in the suite you want, since spaces were sold with individual units. My building sold report covers aggregate trades here.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Candy Factory Lofts

The concierge and guest suites are what make this building practical for owners who travel or host family. Pair that with a gym and rooftop deck and you have a package most hard lofts in the city simply do not offer.

Jatin’s honest take on The Candy Factory Lofts

The Candy Factory 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.