Century Lofts, 365 Dundas St E: A 1940 Lens Factory Turned 41 Lofts

Century Lofts is a low, wide brick building on Dundas Street just east of Sherbourne, and it is one of the few loft conversions in this part of the city with a gym and a rooftop terrace. It began life in 1940 as the Imperial Optical lens factory and was converted into 41 suites in 2000. If you want brick, big windows and some shared amenities without moving into a tower, this is a building I put on the list. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An optical factory with its brick and terrazzo intact

The building went up in 1940 as the Imperial Optical lens factory, and it was converted to residential use in 2000. That makes it a mid-century industrial building rather than a Victorian warehouse, and you can see the difference: long runs of large industrial windows, a regular structural grid and a flat, horizontal brick facade.

Imperial Optical was a significant Toronto company. The City’s heritage records note that the Imperial Optical Company of Canada was founded by Percy Hermant in 1900, and its head office was the 1913 Hermant Building at Dundas Square, now a designated heritage property. The Dundas Street East factory was part of the same business, a few blocks further east.

Some original finishes survive in the common areas. A recent listing noted the original terrazzo floor in the foyer and the original exterior brick, and the lobby has hosted rotating art exhibitions. Those details give the building more identity than many conversions of its era.

Listing data names the developer simply as Century Lofts, which was likely a project company. I could not find an architect credited for the conversion, so I have left that out.

Two storeys, 41 suites and wide industrial windows

Suite sizes run from about 571 to 1,312 square feet, so the building covers everything from a compact one-bedroom loft to a large two-bedroom. Suites are open-concept, and the large factory windows are what most buyers notice first. One listing described ceilings of about 11 feet, though I would confirm the height suite by suite, since it can differ between floors.

Being only two storeys tall with 41 suites, the building spreads out horizontally. That means long corridors and suites that can face the street, the side or the back. Street-facing suites on Dundas get the most light but also the most streetcar and traffic noise, so ask which way a suite faces before you fall for the photos.

Ground-floor suites in a building like this can feel more like a townhouse, with direct access and higher privacy concerns at the windows. Upper-floor suites are closer to the rooftop terrace. Decide which you prefer before you start viewing.

More amenities than most lofts its size

Most small loft conversions downtown have no shared amenities at all. Century Lofts has a gym, a rooftop terrace or deck, a party room and a meeting room, plus bike storage and visitor parking according to recent listing descriptions. Barbecues and pets are permitted.

Parking is listed among the fee inclusions. That is useful in a part of downtown where parking can be scarce, but not every suite necessarily has a space, so confirm on title for the suite you are considering.

Amenities in a small building cost more per owner to run than they do in a 400-suite tower, because there are fewer owners to share the bill. That is worth keeping in mind when you compare fees. Ask how often the gym equipment has been replaced and what the reserve fund study says about the rooftop deck, since both will come due in time.

Dundas East, just past Sherbourne

The building sits on Dundas Street East just east of Sherbourne, between Moss Park to the south and the Cabbagetown side streets to the north. The Dundas streetcar runs past the door, and the data panel covers transit, schools and parks in more detail.

To the east, the Regent Park revitalization has rebuilt a large area over the past 15 years with new housing, community facilities and retail, and that has changed what is walkable from here. Parliament Street’s shops are a short walk east. Like much of downtown east, this stretch of Dundas is still changing, so walk it at a few different times of day before you buy.

Pricing and what the fee covers

Condos.ca shows an average of about $826 per square foot for the building. For a 2000 conversion with a gym and rooftop, that is a reasonable position, below what many new towers nearby ask from developers and broadly in line with other authentic lofts in Moss Park and Corktown.

There are no suites listed for sale at the moment, and one is available for lease, so I have no current asking range to give you. Watch the data panel for recent sales and leases.

When you compare Century Lofts with a new condo nearby, look at the whole monthly cost, not only the fee. A newer building may show a lower fee per square foot, but parking there is often sold separately and charged on top. Here, where a suite has a space, it is already inside the fee, which narrows the gap.

Fees include common elements, building insurance, water and parking. Heat and hydro are not on the listed inclusions, so ask for the suite’s utility bills, particularly for corner suites with a lot of glass. For recent sold data, see my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Century Lofts

A gym, a rooftop terrace and a party room are rare in a 41-suite loft building. They make this a more practical choice for buyers who want loft character but do not want to give up the shared spaces they would get in a newer condo. Just remember that more shared spaces mean more for the corporation to maintain and eventually replace.

Jatin’s honest take on Century Lofts

Century Lofts — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.