Work Lofts, 319 Carlaw Ave: Lamb’s Brick-and-Glass Lofts by the Rail Spur

Work Lofts was part of the first wave of new condos that turned Carlaw into a loft corridor. Lamb Development put up an 11-storey brick-and-glass soft loft on an old rail spur at Dundas and Carlaw in 2012, at a time when this was still mostly warehouses and film studios. It is now one of the more affordable ways into Leslieville with loft finishes, and the next big change is coming right up the street. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Brick on the bottom, glass on top, curved for a railway

Core Architects designed Work Lofts to sit comfortably next to the old warehouses on Carlaw. The lower four floors facing the street are brick, then the building steps back at the fifth floor and the upper seven floors switch to glass and aluminum with balconies and terraces. From the sidewalk it reads as a warehouse with something modern on top, which is exactly the point.

The other detail people notice is the curve. A former rail spur once ran through the site in an arc, and both Work Lofts and its sister building, Flatiron Lofts at 1201 Dundas Street East, follow that line. Work Lofts has a curved east facade as a result, which gives some suites unusual angles and longer window walls.

One discrepancy worth flagging: an early UrbanToronto article gave Work Lofts as 10 storeys and Flatiron as 11, while condos.ca and the UrbanToronto project database describe a four-plus-seven arrangement that adds up to 11 here. I have gone with 11, which matches the building data.

The developer is part of the appeal. Lamb Development, led by Brad Lamb, built its name on loft-style condos in former industrial pockets of the city, and this project was marketed through Brad J. Lamb Realty with the same approach: brick, concrete, compact plans and a strong design pitch. Buyers know the brand, and that tends to help at resale.

Live/work floors and what the suites are like

The name is not just branding. One local loft specialist notes that the first two floors are zoned commercial and cannot be used as purely residential suites. Those are live/work and commercial units, suited to a studio, a small office or a practice that needs a street address. If you are buying on those floors, have a lawyer read the zoning and the condo declaration with you, because what you can do there is different from the floors above.

Residential suites are classic Lamb soft lofts. Ceilings run about 9 to 10 feet, with exposed concrete, engineered hardwood, gas stoves and European-style cabinetry. Most units have outdoor space, many with water or gas hookups for a barbecue.

Sizes are small to mid-sized. Condos.ca shows roughly 378 to 1,033 sq ft, which means a lot of compact one-bedrooms and studios; the specialist site quotes much larger figures at the top end, which likely include commercial space. The suite count also varies by source, from 125 on condos.ca to 153 in other marketing, so confirm it in the status certificate.

The compact plans are a double-edged thing. A studio or small one-bedroom here is an affordable way into Leslieville with real loft finishes, and it rents easily. But small suites are also where buyers compare most closely against newer buildings, so layout matters a lot: a usable kitchen wall, a proper closet and a terrace that is more than a ledge.

Carlaw today, and the Ontario Line next door

When Work Lofts launched, the area around Dundas and Carlaw was known mostly for old warehouses and film studios, which is why it was marketed as the Film District. It has since become one of the busiest small condo corridors in the east end, with converted warehouses, newer mid-rises and cafes running up and down the street. Leslieville’s Queen East shops are south of you, and Gerrard is to the north.

The biggest change is the Ontario Line. Metrolinx is building Gerrard Station where the line crosses Carlaw at Gerrard, and Infrastructure Ontario has proposed new mixed-use transit-oriented communities on the lands north and south of it, with housing, retail and a grocery store. That means construction for a while and a much denser neighbourhood later.

For owners here, that is mostly good news for long-term value, but it also means more new supply nearby competing for buyers and tenants. The automatic panel on this page covers transit as it is today.

Pricing and fees

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $961 per sq ft. That is above the Flatiron building next door, partly because the suites here skew smaller, and small suites always carry a higher per-square-foot price. Two suites were listed at the time of writing, asking from about $449,000 to $969,000, which spans a small one-bedroom to a two-bedroom.

Monthly fees on those listings run from roughly $375 to $820. Condos.ca lists only water as included, so expect to pay your own heat, hydro and air conditioning, and confirm whether parking and a locker carry separate charges. That makes the fee look low next to buildings that bundle heat, but your all-in monthly cost will be higher than the fee suggests.

For a compact suite with loft finishes in Leslieville, the entry price here is one of the lower ones in the area, which is why the building has always been popular with first-time buyers and investors.

Building specifications

Amenities at Work Lofts

Amenities are built around the live/work idea: a multi-purpose room with a kitchen, two meeting rooms and a boardroom, plus a rooftop deck and garden for entertaining. There is no pool or full gym listed, which keeps fees down, so plan to use a gym on Carlaw or Queen.

Jatin’s honest take on Work Lofts

Work 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.