Edition Richmond, 850 Richmond St W: 20 Lofts and Towns With Rooftops

Edition Richmond is not a condo in the usual sense. It is 20 homes in a light-brick low-rise on Richmond Street West, built on the site of an old auto garage just south of Trinity Bellwoods Park, and most of them have their own rooftop. If you want house-sized space downtown without a front lawn to maintain, it belongs on your short list. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Three kinds of home in one small building

According to the Globe and Mail’s coverage at launch, the 20 units come in three types. There are four three-storey loft houses on the south side, eight two-storey sky lofts on the upper south side reached by elevator, and eight three-level towns at the north end.

The loft houses are the most dramatic. Their principal rooms have ceilings of about 18 feet, with the main bedroom on a mezzanine above. The towns are larger, at around 2,000 square feet, with three bedrooms and sky-lit light shafts running through all three levels. The sky lofts are two-bedroom homes on the upper levels.

Before the building went up, the old garage on the site was used as the sales gallery, and it hosted parties and a wedding during that period. Cecconi Simone designed the model bathroom, with marble cladding, a glass shower and a mirrored wall, which gives a sense of the finish level the developer was aiming for.

Condos.ca gives a size range of about 1,051 to 2,126 square feet. Every unit here is larger than the average new condo in the city, which is why the building appeals to families and downsizers rather than first-time buyers.

Rooftops, light and a garage below

Most units have at least 250 square feet of private rooftop space, and some have more than 500. The towns have the largest rooftop gardens. Part of the rooftop area is covered by metal-clad archways with wood detailing and LED lighting, a design feature that gives the roofline its shape.

The design puts a lot of effort into natural light, with a sky-lit atrium and light wells, which matters in an infill site surrounded by other buildings. The loft houses connect directly to the parking garage on the level below, which is a real convenience in winter.

Private rooftops come with responsibility. Ask who maintains the roof membrane under your terrace, who pays if it leaks, and what the declaration says about planters, hot tubs or structures you might want to add.

The light brick exterior is calmer than many new buildings in the area, and it ages well. Brick, metal-clad roof features and skylights all need periodic attention, though, so check when the skylights and roof elements were last inspected and what the reserve fund study expects to spend on them.

Small corporation, minimal amenities

Edition Richmond was designed without recreation facilities, so there is no gym, pool or concierge to fund. Condos.ca lists BBQ permission, bike storage, a rooftop deck, a security system and visitor parking, and a fee covering common elements and building insurance.

That keeps fees down, but 20 owners share the cost of every roof, garage and elevator repair. In a corporation this small, one large project can mean a meaningful fee increase or a special levy if the reserve fund is not adequate. The reserve fund study and the last few years of board minutes are essential reading.

Best Practices Property Management is listed as manager. In a building with 20 units, ask how often the manager is on site and how quickly they respond, since there is no staff in the lobby.

The upside of a small corporation is control. With 20 owners, you will know your neighbours, and decisions about the building can be made quickly. The downside is that if a few owners stop paying attention, the board can struggle to fill seats, so ask how active the board is.

Richmond Street, south of the park

The building sits at the west end of Richmond Street West, just south of Trinity Bellwoods Park and a block from Queen Street West. The park is the building’s back garden in practice, and Queen West’s shops and restaurants are close enough to walk to every day.

For families, the park is the real draw: open space, a playground and an off-leash area within easy reach, which is rare for a home of this size this close to downtown. For everyone else, the appeal is having Queen West’s restaurants and shops close by while living on a quieter street.

Richmond here is quieter than Queen, with a mix of houses, low-rise buildings and new development. The data panel on this page has the transit, school and park details.

Pricing a building with no comparables

Condos.ca does not publish an average price per square foot for Edition Richmond, and there were no units for sale at the time of writing. With 20 units and owners who tend to stay, resale is rare.

When a unit does come up, it should be priced against other ground-oriented and townhouse-style homes near Trinity Bellwoods, not against condo suites. A 2,000-square-foot town with a rooftop garden and direct garage access is closer to a semi-detached house in what it offers than to a tower suite.

The three unit types also need to be priced separately, since a two-storey sky loft and a three-level town are very different products. For recent sold figures, see the data panel on this page, or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Edition Richmond

The amenity here is your own rooftop, not a shared facility. There is no gym or concierge, so the fee pays for the building envelope, the garage and insurance rather than staff and equipment.

Jatin’s honest take on Edition Richmond

Edition Richmond — 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.