Four Lowther, 4 Lowther Ave: 40 Large Suites Off Avenue Road and Bloor

Four Lowther is where buyers go when they want a house-sized home on the Yorkville edge of the Annex, with staff at the door and very few neighbours. It is a six-storey building with just 40 suites, a handful of three-storey townhomes inside it, valet parking and an indoor pool. It is also one of the most expensive buildings per square foot in the area, and the fees match. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small, staffed building between Yorkville and the Annex

Lowther Avenue starts at Avenue Road, a block north of Bloor, and runs west into the Annex. Four Lowther sits at the Avenue Road end, so you have Yorkville’s shops and restaurants to the east and the Annex’s residential streets to the west. blogTO’s coverage of the building pointed out the Whole Foods across the road, and the Royal Ontario Museum and Bloor Street are a short walk south.

With six storeys and 40 suites, the building is closer in feel to a private residence than a condo tower. Coverage of a recent listing described longstanding concierge and security staff, and that continuity is a large part of why owners pay what they do here. You are buying service and privacy as much as square footage.

Elmer-Yale developed the building and it was registered as a condominium at the end of 1985. I could not find a published architect credit, so I have left that out rather than guess.

Suites that replace a house, including townhomes inside

Recorded suite sizes run from about 968 square feet to roughly 3,748 square feet. Suites here are far larger than in most Yorkville buildings. Those that have come to market recently have included two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den layouts with three bathrooms, and at least one with a second service entrance.

The building also includes what one listing called one of only four three-storey townhomes within the building. A townhome inside a staffed building is a rare format in Toronto: you get stairs and multiple levels, with a concierge and valet parking on the other side of your door.

Some upper suites have very large terraces, in at least one case well over 1,000 square feet, landscaped and irrigated. Outdoor space on that scale is a major part of the value for those suites, so if you are comparing, compare terrace size and exposure as carefully as interior space.

Renovation quality varies widely in a building this age. Some suites have been fully renovated, and others may be closer to original. At this price level, the condition of the suite can matter more than its floor.

Valet parking, a pool and what the fee does not cover

The amenities are short but chosen well for the building’s buyers: valet parking, an indoor pool, a sauna, a fitness room, a party and meeting room, and concierge and security staff behind a security gate. Valet parking is unusual in a building of 40 suites, and listing coverage of the building puts it near the top of the list.

The fee includes common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Heat and hydro are not listed, so you should expect to pay for your own heating and electricity on top of the fee. In large suites, that can add up, so ask the seller for a year of utility bills.

The two suites for sale at the time of writing carried fees of roughly $4,060 to $4,280 a month. That reflects large suites and a high level of staffing spread across only 40 owners. Before you buy, look at the budget line for staffing and valet service, because in a small building those costs fall heavily on each owner.

Buying well at this price level

At several million dollars a suite, small details move the price. Floor, exposure, terrace size, the number of parking spaces and whether a suite has been rebuilt behind the walls or only refinished can each be worth a great deal. I would walk every suite you are serious about with a contractor, not just an agent.

Think about resale too. The pool of buyers for a 3,000-square-foot suite in a 40-suite building is small and specific, usually downsizers from the surrounding neighbourhoods. When the market is strong that scarcity helps you; when it is slow, expect a longer selling time and price accordingly.

Among the highest prices per foot in the Annex

The building averages about $1,674 per square foot. Across the 63 Annex condominiums I track, the median building average is about $970, and nearby 99 Avenue Road averages about $951 and The Residences at Hazelton Lanes about $1,059. Four Lowther is well above all of them.

That premium comes from the format: few suites, very large layouts, townhomes, big terraces, valet parking and a long-serving staff. It is a different product from a Yorkville tower suite, and it should be judged against houses and other small luxury buildings as much as against condos.

Two suites were for sale when I wrote this, asking roughly $3.5 million to $4.0 million. With only 40 suites, sales are infrequent and the average per square foot rests on a small sample, so recent closed sales of similar size and condition are the better guide. My building sold report shows what has actually closed here.

Building specifications

Amenities at Four Lowther

The package is built around service rather than spectacle. Valet parking, staff who know the owners and a pool you share with only 39 other households are what make daily life here feel like a private building. There is no rooftop lounge or theatre room, and in a building of 40 suites that keeps shared costs focused.

Jatin’s honest take on Four Lowther

Four Lowther — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.