Bartlett Loft Towns, 6 Bartlett Ave: 13 Loft Townhomes off Bloor

Bartlett Loft Towns is one of the oldest loft conversions I know of in the west end, and one of the least known. It is 13 multi-level suites in a former industrial building on a short residential street just off Bloor, converted back in 1985 when lofts were not yet a marketing word. It works like a small townhouse complex, and you should judge it that way. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A twine mill, a garage and a tackle shop

Before it was homes, the building at 6 Bartlett had a working life that changed with the city. Toronto Life describes it as having housed a twine mill, a motor garage and a fishing tackle company before it was converted into 13 condominium suites in 1985.

That date matters. Most of the loft conversions buyers know in this part of Toronto came in the late 1990s and 2000s. A 1985 conversion predates the loft boom by more than a decade, so the design reflects an earlier idea: stacked, townhouse-style homes inside an industrial shell rather than open warehouse floors with a lobby and an elevator.

The developer listed is Allan D. Gordon Associates. I could not find an architect of record or a detailed history of the original factory, so treat the timeline above as what has been published rather than a full building history.

Three floors, a roof terrace and a garage

Suites here are about 1,350 to 1,400 sq ft, and the listings I have reviewed describe them as two-bedroom-plus-den layouts. At least one has been marketed as a three-storey loft with a rooftop terrace of roughly 200 sq ft and a private garage off Bartlett Avenue.

That format is the reason to buy here. You get the vertical separation of a townhouse, with living space on one floor and bedrooms on another, plus outdoor space on the roof. A private garage at street level means no underground ramp and no circling for street parking, which on these blocks is a real advantage.

The same format has costs. Three floors means stairs every day, and there is no elevator to fall back on. If you are buying for the long term, think about how the suite works for you in ten or fifteen years, or for visiting parents who do not love stairs.

Because the shell is industrial, expect each suite to differ in window placement, light and how much of the original structure shows. Ask the seller what has been renovated and when, and look at the electrical panel and the heating system yourself.

Owning in a 13-suite corporation

A building this small changes how ownership works. There is no large board with committees and a full-time manager on site. Decisions about the roof, the masonry or the fee are made by a handful of owners, and your vote carries real weight.

That is good when everyone is engaged and frustrating when they are not. Before you buy, I want you to read at least two years of board minutes and the most recent annual general meeting package. You are looking for how the owners make decisions, how quickly repairs get approved, and whether the reserve fund has kept pace with the building’s age.

Insurance is the other piece to understand. The corporation’s policy is in your fee, but you need your own unit policy, and in an older multi-level conversion it is worth asking your insurer about the building’s age, its heating systems and its roof before you firm up.

Daily life between Bloor and Dovercourt Park

Bartlett is a quiet, short residential street lined with older houses, a block from the shops, cafés and restaurants of Bloor Street West through Bloorcourt. Sources label the pocket differently, from Dovercourt Village to Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction to Bloorcourt, but on the ground it is simply the residential side of Bloor.

There is no amenity package in the condo sense. Condos.ca lists BBQs as permitted and a security system, and that is it. The building runs more like a small freehold row with shared costs, and you should expect to know all twelve of your neighbours by name.

The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools and walkability. My practical point is simpler: if you want to be on Bloor without living on Bloor, this street does that well.

What Bartlett Loft Towns costs to buy and own

Condos.ca puts the building average around $924 per square foot. With 13 suites of similar size, that average is more meaningful here than in many small buildings, because the suites are close to one another in format and square footage.

There were two active listings when I wrote this, both two-bedroom-plus-den suites, asking between about $1.1 million and $1.25 million. Their monthly fees ran from roughly $1,070 to $1,170. On suites of 1,350 to 1,400 sq ft, that works out to around $0.76 to $0.86 per square foot.

That fee level is high for a building with no shared amenities, but look at what it includes: parking, water and building insurance on top of common elements. Heat and hydro are not listed, so budget separately for them. In a 1985 building with only 13 owners, the fee also reflects the reality that a roof, masonry or window project is split very few ways.

The comparison I make for buyers here is with semi-detached houses on the surrounding streets. A loft townhome at this price buys you parking, a roof terrace and shared exterior maintenance, but less land and less freedom to renovate than a semi. My building sold report covers the aggregate sale history.

Building specifications

Amenities at Bartlett Loft Towns

There are no shared facilities to speak of. What you are paying for in the fee is the shell, the roof, insurance, water and parking, which is closer to a freehold townhouse than to a typical condo.

Jatin’s honest take on Bartlett Loft Towns

Bartlett Loft Towns — 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.