Brockton Lofts, 20 Brockton Ave: An 18-Unit Artists’ Factory Conversion

Brockton Lofts at 20 Brockton Avenue is what buyers mean when they say they want a real loft. It is a former factory off Dundas West, converted in the 1980s for artists, with 18 multi-level homes, wood-beamed ceilings and skylights. Units almost never come up, so when one does, you need to know in advance what you are looking at. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A factory converted for artists

The building began as a factory. Toronto Life described its conversion as an artists’ project, with many of the first buyers painters, sculptors and photographers who designed their own units from scratch. That origin explains why the homes here are so individual, and why this is not a loft-style condo with a few exposed ducts.

Sources differ on the date. Toronto Life put the conversion at 1986, a more recent report said 1988 and described the original use as a furniture factory, and the condominium corporation was registered in June 1988. The likeliest reading is that the conversion work began a little before registration. I could not confirm the factory’s original owner.

Because the first owners shaped their own spaces, no two homes are quite alike. Expect different floor plates, different stair arrangements and different amounts of light, and do not assume one unit’s features carry over to the next.

Beams, skylights and three levels

The interiors are the reason people wait years for a listing. Units that have come to market have shown original wood-beamed ceilings, maple plank floors, multiple skylights and, in one case, an atrium around the staircase with ceilings of about 24 feet. Some homes run over three levels with open sightlines between them.

Condos.ca records the building as one storey, which reflects the low-rise factory shell rather than the homes inside it. Within that shell, mezzanines and upper levels create the multi-floor layouts. Ask for a floor plan and measured size, because loft square footage is often counted differently from one listing to the next.

Tall, open spaces have a practical side. Heating and cooling a volume that high costs more than in a standard condo, sound carries between open levels, and privacy between a sleeping loft and the living area can be limited. Ask for a year of utility bills and check how each level is heated and cooled.

Outdoor space varies. Some units have a patio or a private terrace, and at least one has a Juliet balcony on an upper floor. Confirm what comes with the specific home and whether it is part of the unit or an exclusive-use common element.

Eighteen owners and a low fee

With 18 units, this is a very small corporation. A recent report put maintenance fees at roughly $0.50 per square foot, which is low for Toronto. Low fees in a small, older building can mean careful management, or they can mean the reserve fund has not kept pace. You find out which by reading the documents.

Atrens Management Group is listed as the manager. Ask for the reserve fund study and check its date, and look at what it schedules for the roof, the skylights, the windows and the masonry. Skylights and older roofs are the components I would watch most in a converted factory.

The same report noted that only five units had come up for sale in about a decade. That kind of turnover is a good sign of owner satisfaction, and it also means you may be competing with buyers who have been waiting a long time.

In a building this size, you will also be expected to take part. Board seats rotate among a small group of owners, and decisions about a roof or skylight replacement are made by people you will see at the front door. That is a strength when the owners are engaged.

Brockton Village, day to day

Brockton Avenue is a short residential street off Dundas Street West, in the stretch known as Brockton Village on the edge of Little Portugal. Dundas West here is lined with cafés, bakeries, bars, galleries and independent shops, and it has become one of the west end’s most popular strips while keeping its neighbourhood feel.

Living in a converted factory on a side street gives you the character of the building without living on the main road. Visit on a weekend evening to judge the street, and check how the building sits relative to its neighbours for light and privacy.

Transit, schools and parks for this address are covered in the data panel on this page.

Pricing a loft that rarely trades

There were no active listings when I checked, and no building average per square foot is published. With 18 highly individual units and very few sales, any average would say little about a particular home.

Price a unit here against other authentic hard lofts in the west end, such as factory and warehouse conversions around Queen West, Dundas West and the Junction, rather than against new loft-style condos. Ceiling height, skylights, outdoor space and parking will move the value more than bedroom count.

The buyer pool is narrow but motivated. Lofts like this attract people who have been searching for a long time and will pay for character, and the same buyers tend to discount units where the original beams, floors or brick have been renovated away.

On fees, the reported figure of about $0.50 per square foot is low, but inclusions are not published. Ask what the fee covers, which utilities are separate, and how the budget is funding the reserve. My building sold report can pull aggregate loft trades in the area.

Building specifications

Amenities at Brockton Lofts

There is no amenity package beyond parking and barbecues, and nobody buys here for one. The building’s character and Dundas West outside the door are the amenities, and the lean setup helps keep the fee low.

Jatin’s honest take on Brockton Lofts

Brockton 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.