King West Village Lofts, 954 King St W: Early Urbancorp Two-Level Lofts

King West Village Lofts is a building I like for buyers who want a loft layout on a block that still feels low-rise. Urbancorp finished it in 2000, it was one of that builder’s earliest projects in the area, and most suites are two-level lofts with the bedroom overlooking the living room. It is now 25 years old, which shapes both the price and the questions you need to ask. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An early Urbancorp building, before the towers came

King West Village Lofts predates almost everything around it. It was among the early new residential buildings on this stretch of King and one of Urbancorp’s earliest buildings, completed in 2000 as a square, clean-lined block set among trees.

Two sources disagree on its size. Condos.ca lists four storeys and 148 suites. A loft-specialist site describes it as eight storeys and gives both 148 and 105 suites in different places. My reading is that the difference comes from how the two-level suites and floors are counted, but I would confirm both figures in the status certificate rather than rely on either source.

What is not in dispute is the scale. This is a low-rise building on a corner that now has much taller neighbours, and that is a big part of its appeal.

Low-rise has practical effects too. Fewer owners share each lobby and hallway, and board decisions show up quickly in daily life. The flip side is that fewer owners share the cost of a roof or a garage repair, so a large project can weigh more heavily on each suite than it would in a 400-suite tower.

Two-level lofts with the bedroom above

Most suites are two-storey soft lofts with open plans. The bedroom sits on an upper level overlooking the living room, which gives you a tall living space and large windows. Finishes include exposed concrete, engineered hardwood and marble bathroom counters, and there are balconies on every side of the building.

Balconies on all sides mean you can choose your exposure. North-facing suites get softer light and look toward Queen West, while south-facing suites take the full sun and the view over the park and Liberty Village. Choose with the season in mind, because a two-storey wall of glass gets warm in July.

Condos.ca records sizes from about 515 to 1,243 square feet. At the small end you get a compact one-bedroom loft; at the top end there is room for a real second bedroom. Because some of the floor area is stairs, measure the usable space and look at where furniture will go before comparing price per square foot with a single-level condo.

The open bedroom is the trade-off. It is a lovely layout for one person or a couple on the same schedule, and a harder one for roommates or anyone who works night shifts.

A fee that covers hydro and parking

Condos.ca lists the fee as covering common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, building insurance, water and parking. That is about as complete as a Toronto condo fee gets. Most newer buildings charge for parking separately and meter hydro, heating and cooling to each suite.

So the monthly fee here will look high in a side-by-side search. The fair comparison is what you will pay in total each month, with hydro, heat and a parking space added back onto the building that excludes them. Ask which suites actually have parking attached, because inclusion in the fee does not guarantee that every suite has a space.

In a 25-year-old building, a rising fee is not automatically a bad sign. It can mean the board is funding roofs, windows and the garage on time. The reserve fund study tells you which story you are reading. Ask for the fee history over the last five years as well; steady increases are easier to plan around than a long freeze followed by a jump.

Across from Massey Harris Park, with change next door

Massey Harris Park is across the road, Trinity Bellwoods Park is a short walk north, and Liberty Village’s grocery stores and restaurants are a few minutes south. The King streetcar runs past the door. This is a busy, high-foot-traffic corner rather than a quiet side street, and you will hear it.

The block is also changing. In 2022, UrbanToronto reported an application for a 16-storey rental building at 952 King West, at the northwest corner of King and Strachan, replacing a gas station. Before you buy an east-facing suite, check where that application stands and what it would mean for your light and view.

What King West Village Lofts costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $901 per square foot. That is higher than the nearby DNA North Tower and Electra Lofts, both in the mid-$800s, and reflects the smaller building, the loft layouts and a fee that includes parking.

There was only one suite listed for sale at the time of writing, a two-bedroom of 900 to 999 square feet, and no rentals. With that little supply, I will not quote a single listing’s asking price or fee as a benchmark. The sold aggregates in the data panel are a better guide.

Thin supply cuts both ways. Buyers have little choice, but sellers also have few comparables to anchor on. A suite with parking, a good balcony and an updated kitchen will set the high end; an original suite with no parking should trade well below it.

Building specifications

Amenities at King West Village Lofts

The amenities are basic: a gym, a party room, a media room and a meeting room. Most of what your fee buys is utilities and parking, with a park across the street doing the job a big amenity floor would do elsewhere. In a building of this size, a short list also keeps the fee pointed at the things every owner uses.

Jatin’s honest take on King West Village Lofts

King West Village Lofts — 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.