Glebe Lofts, 660 Pape Ave: Multi-Level Lofts in a Working 1912 Church

Glebe Lofts is one of the few places in Toronto where you can live inside a church that still holds services. The suites are big and stacked over several levels, more like townhouses than condos, and the fee covers more than almost any building I see. What you will not find is much of the original church interior, and buyers should know that before they arrive expecting stained glass over the bed. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1912 church that still holds services

The building went up at the corner of Pape and Harcourt in 1912 as Riverdale Presbyterian Church and was expanded in 1920. ACO Toronto’s heritage database credits the original design to architect James Wilson Gray, and the loft conversion to Mitchell and Associates, the firm of Bob Mitchell, who was behind many of Toronto’s early loft conversions.

The unusual part is that the conversion did not take the whole building. Most of the Gothic Revival structure became lofts, but the north portion still operates as a place of worship. A 2018 Toronto Life rental feature described the suites as attached to a working church, which is a good shorthand for what living here is like.

Dates vary slightly by source. ACO Toronto gives the residential conversion as 2003, while the condominium corporation registered in March 2005. ACO also lists the building as having no formal heritage status, so it is not protected the way a designated property is.

From the street, the building still reads as a church: brick, pointed windows and a strong corner presence at Harcourt. That exterior is the part of the history you live with every day, and it is the reason the building stands out on a block of houses.

Suites that live like townhouses

These are not single-floor condo units. A loft brokerage that tracks the building describes the suites as multi-level and built entirely within the original church walls, with no additions. Dash, which lists the building on its property pages, describes a design that runs over as many as five levels, with some suites having their own street access.

Most suites have about 14-foot ceilings, thermopane windows and skylights, exposed steel and hardwood floors, and most have a terrace or balcony. Sizes are quoted at roughly 1,000 to over 2,000 square feet. That makes this a downsizer’s and family’s building as much as a single professional’s.

Here is the honest caveat. To turn one huge open church into 32 homes, the conversion needed a great deal of new interior wall, and one brokerage notes that few original church elements remain inside. If what you love is the exterior and the volume, you will be happy. If you want pews, arches and stained glass in your living room, this may disappoint you.

Pape, Harcourt and the Danforth

The building sits on Pape just south of the Danforth, so Greektown’s restaurants, grocers and the summer Taste of the Danforth festival are a short walk away. The surrounding streets are mostly houses, which keeps the immediate block calmer than the Danforth itself.

Storey counts differ by source. Condos.ca lists three storeys, while two other sources describe four. In a church with multi-level suites, both can be reasonable descriptions, but it matters if you have mobility concerns. Condos.ca lists an elevator; confirm which levels of your suite it serves. The data panel on this page shows the nearest subway, schools and distances.

Thirty-two owners and a shared roof

A 32-suite building runs differently from a tower. Each owner carries a meaningful share of every major repair, the board is small enough that a few engaged owners shape most decisions, and turnover is low. That stability is a big part of why people stay here for years.

It also means the condominium’s finances matter more per suite. A roof, masonry or skylight program spread over 32 owners lands harder than the same work spread over 300. Before you buy, I want to see the most recent reserve fund study, how closely contributions track its plan, and whether any large projects are scheduled in the next few years.

Bob Mitchell also converted Printers Row Lofts a short distance south on Logan Avenue, a 12-suite former industrial building. If you like the idea of a small, owner-run loft community in Riverdale, it is worth comparing the two: Glebe is larger, with the church setting and a broader fee, while Printers Row is even more intimate.

How to think about price here

Condos.ca does not publish an average price per square foot for Glebe Lofts, and there were no active listings when this page was prepared. With only 32 suites, a handful trade in a typical year, so any building average swings with whichever suites happened to sell.

The fee deserves special attention because it is unusually inclusive. Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, water, air conditioning, hydro and parking. Hydro and parking inside the fee is rare in Toronto, so a Glebe fee that looks high next to a newer building may cost you less once you add those bills back to the other side.

The right comparison is usually not other condos but Riverdale townhouses and semis of similar size, adjusted for the convenience of a condo and the parking. For recent trades, ask me for the building sold report. If a suite has a large terrace or its own street entrance, value it the way you would a townhouse with a yard, not a condo with a balcony.

Building specifications

Amenities at Glebe Lofts

There are no shared amenity rooms to speak of; one brokerage lists the amenities simply as none. What you get instead is underground parking, an elevator and private outdoor space in most suites, which in this neighbourhood is worth more than a party room.

Jatin’s honest take on Glebe Lofts

Glebe Lofts — frequently asked questions

Looking at Leslieville, Riverdale, the Beaches, Danforth and Leaside more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.