Coleman Lofts, 99 Coleman Ave: An 18-Suite Former Bakery Off the Danforth

Coleman Lofts is one of the oldest loft conversions in the east end, and it shows in the best way. Eighteen suites, a former bakery, skylights and a rooftop deck, on a side street a few minutes from Main and Danforth. It is also self-managed, which is the single most important thing to understand before you buy here. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A bakery first, a loft building later

Condos.ca and the building’s listing descriptions agree that 99 Coleman began life as a bakery, and listings point to the original exterior and windows as part of what you are buying. Local real estate coverage in 2026 described the structure as dating from the early 1900s and used over the years as storefronts, a bakery and an appliance warehouse.

The dates do not line up neatly. That same coverage says the conversion to lofts happened in the early 1980s, while the condominium corporation, MTCC-1005, was registered in December 1991 and condos.ca lists 1991 as the build year. The likeliest explanation is that the lofts existed before the condominium was formally registered, but I have not been able to confirm it. Ask for the declaration and registration history if the date matters to you.

Either way, this is a true hard loft in the sense buyers mean: an older commercial building converted to homes, not a new building with a loft name. That is rare east of the Don Valley and almost unheard of at this scale.

Big suites, skylights and the spiral stair

Suites run from about 853 to 1,305 square feet, so there is nothing small here. The two current listings are two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den layouts. Listings describe high ceilings and skylights, which matter in a three-storey building where some suites sit low and the skylights do the heavy lifting for light.

Ground-level suites are reached from a private walkway with their own street access, which makes them feel more like a townhouse than an apartment. Covered parking connects directly to the units, and there are storage lockers and visitor parking.

The shared rooftop terrace is reached by a spiral staircase on the front of the building, and it is the feature people remember after a showing. It is also worth thinking about practically. Condos.ca does not list an elevator for this building, so if stairs are a concern now or might be in ten years, look carefully at which floor you are buying on.

Self-managed: what that really means

There is no property management company here. With 18 suites, the owners and their board run the building themselves, hiring contractors, collecting fees and keeping the books. In a well-run small building this works beautifully and keeps fees honest. In a poorly run one, nobody is paid to notice problems early.

That makes the paperwork more important than usual, not less. Read the board minutes, the reserve fund study and the budget, and look at how recently each was updated. Ask who handles day-to-day issues, how the reserve fund is invested and whether there is a plan for the roof, the windows and the garage.

It also means you are joining a small community whose decisions directly affect your home. Some buyers love that. Others find it tiring. Be honest with yourself about which one you are.

Lenders and insurers sometimes ask more questions about small self-managed corporations, so speak to your mortgage broker early. A clean, recent reserve fund study and organized financial statements make that conversation much easier.

Off the Danforth, close to Main

Coleman Avenue is a residential side street a few minutes east of Main Street station, close to Danforth Avenue. The city files this pocket under East End-Danforth, the same area name it uses for the Upper Beaches north of Kingston Road. Listings describe Main Street subway station and Danforth GO as a short walk, and the automatic panel on this page gives the exact transit details.

You are on the quieter, more residential end of the Danforth here, with groceries, cafés and the Danforth shops within walking distance and the Beach a short trip south. It is a neighbourhood for people who want a house-like loft without leaving the city’s transit network.

The street itself is the quiet part of the deal. You are off the main road, among houses, so the noise and late-night traffic of the Danforth stay a block or two away. Visit on a weekday evening and a Saturday morning before you commit, because a small building on a residential street lives or dies by how its immediate surroundings feel.

Price per square foot and what the fee covers

The building average sits around $715 per square foot, which is low for a hard loft anywhere in Toronto. Part of that is the location east of Main, part is the age of the building, and part is the self-management question, which narrows the pool of buyers and lenders who are comfortable with it.

There are two active listings as I write this, both two-bedroom layouts, asking roughly $800,000 to $830,000 with monthly fees of about $748 to $811. The fee covers common elements, water, building insurance and parking. Heat and hydro are not listed as included, so ask for actual utility bills for the suite you are considering.

With only 18 suites, sales are infrequent. The TRREB data panel on this page shows twelve-month medians where there are enough trades; when there are not, comparables from other east-end hard lofts are a better guide than this building’s own history.

Building specifications

Amenities at Coleman Lofts

The only shared space most owners use is the rooftop deck, and in an 18-suite building that is enough. There is no gym, concierge or party room, so the fee goes into the building itself.

Jatin’s honest take on Coleman Lofts

Coleman 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.