Bellefair Kew Beach Residences, 2000 Queen St E: A Church Turned Condo

Bellefair Kew Beach Residences is one of the very few places in Toronto where you can live behind the facade of a 1920s church, across the street from Kew Gardens. Reserve Properties kept the Queen Street front and built modern suites and townhouses behind it. There are only 29 homes, so the hardest part of buying here is waiting for one to come up. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1922 Beach church, kept at the front

The building on this corner opened in 1922 as Bellefair Methodist and later became Beach United Church. When the congregation moved to Wineva Avenue in 2009, Reserve Properties took on the site and RAW Design, a Toronto firm, adapted it for condos and shops.

Coverage at the time described the old church as late Gothic in style. The historic Queen Street facade was retained, with clean, modern construction behind it, and part of the front was adapted for retail at street level. So from Queen Street you still read a church; from the courtyard and Bellefair Avenue you see a contemporary building.

This is not a full interior conversion with pews and stained glass in the living room. Think of it as a heritage front with new construction behind, which is the better arrangement for systems, insulation and layouts.

Suites, penthouses and townhouses

UrbanToronto’s 2010 report described 23 condominium suites on the floors above the retail, with townhomes behind. Building Design and Construction described six three-storey townhouses. Twenty-three suites plus six townhouses gives the 29 units condos.ca lists today.

The top floor holds eight one- and two-storey penthouses. Six of them have rooftop terraces: three face Queen Street and Kew Gardens, and three face a central landscaped courtyard and walkway. Ceilings are ten feet throughout, which is generous for a building this size.

Launch finishes included Scavolini kitchens and bathrooms, granite or quartz counters, European stainless steel appliances and wide-plank engineered wood floors, with interiors by II BY IV Design. Condos.ca puts the suite range at about 578 to 2,183 square feet, so there are few small suites here.

The six townhouses at the back are the least visible part of the building and, for some buyers, the most useful. Three storeys with their own entrance, behind a retained church front and away from Queen Street traffic, is a format you rarely find in the Beach outside of freehold houses. Ask how the townhouses connect to the garage and the shared courtyard.

The storey count, and why it doesn’t matter much

Sources describe the height differently. UrbanToronto said four storeys of condos above retail, Building Design and Construction said a five-storey building, and condos.ca lists four floors. The difference is almost certainly the ground-floor retail and the two-storey penthouses being counted in different ways.

What does matter is the mix. You are buying into a corporation that includes retail at grade, suites above, and townhouses at the back. Read the declaration for how costs are shared between the residential and commercial parts, and whether the retail units have their own obligations for the facade.

The retained church front is the other thing to understand. Heritage masonry needs ongoing care, and in a building with only 29 owners, that cost is shared among very few people. The reserve fund study should show a plan for it.

Retail at grade also shapes daily life. Shops on the ground floor mean deliveries, signage and some evening activity at the front of the building. Ask who the current commercial tenants are, what uses the declaration permits, and how garbage and loading are handled, so there are no surprises once you move in.

Across from Kew Gardens

The location is the reason people wait for a listing here. The building sits on Queen Street East opposite Kew Gardens, with the boardwalk and Kew Beach a short walk south. Building Design and Construction noted views over Kew Gardens and toward Lake Ontario from upper suites.

Queen Street here is busy on summer weekends, with the shops, restaurants and the park all drawing crowds. The Queen-facing penthouses get the view and the activity; the courtyard-facing suites and the townhouses are quieter. Choose your side with that in mind.

The nearest comparable is The Kew at 66 Kippendavie Avenue, a four-storey AUDAX-designed building on a side street a short walk away. The Kew is larger, sits on a residential street and includes more in its fee; Bellefair has the church facade, the Kew Gardens frontage and fewer neighbours.

Price per square foot and what you pay on top

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $1,012 per square foot. That is high for the east end but below The Kew nearby. Part of the gap may simply be that Bellefair’s fee covers less, so compare total monthly costs, not just price per square foot.

Condos.ca lists only heat and water as included in the fee. Hydro, building insurance and parking costs are not listed, so ask for the current budget and what is billed separately before comparing monthly costs against other Beach buildings.

There were no active listings when I checked, which is normal for a building of 29 homes. Resales are rare, sold comparables are thin, and the right suite may take months to appear. I would watch this building and The Kew together, and look at the sold figures in the panel above when one does come up.

Building specifications

Amenities at Bellefair Kew Beach Residences

For 29 homes, a gym and a party room is a reasonable package, and the central courtyard gives the building a private, quiet middle. The real amenities are across the street: Kew Gardens, the boardwalk and the beach. Do not expect a concierge; in a building of this size, the fee simply cannot carry one.

Jatin’s honest take on Bellefair Kew Beach Residences

Bellefair Kew Beach Residences — 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.