Soho Lofts, 477 Richmond St W: Office-to-Loft Conversion, 94 Suites

Soho Lofts at the Starwood Centre, 477 Richmond St W, is the loft building for people who care about the space itself and not much else. It is a former office building turned into 94 suites with concrete, tall ceilings and big windows, sharing its floors with commercial tenants. It is not for everyone, and I will tell you exactly who should walk away. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An office building, not a warehouse

Most of the lofts around Queen West and King West are converted factories or purpose-built soft lofts. This one started life as an office building, and that shapes everything about it. You get the corner glass facade at Richmond and Brant, concrete floors, columns and ceilings, and open plates with large windows, but without the brick and timber that people picture when they hear the word loft.

It is also still a working building. Commercial tenants share the address, and over the years that has included a modelling agency on the lower floors and other businesses in suites on residential floors. If you want a building where every neighbour is a resident, this is not it. If you like a little daytime activity in the halls and a building that feels part of the old Fashion District, it is a plus.

Starwood Group was the developer, and the corporation was registered in 1993, which makes it one of the earlier condo conversions in this part of downtown. That age is the single most important fact for a buyer, and I come back to it below.

Ceilings, concrete and room to change the plan

The space is the reason to buy here. Listings and press coverage describe ceilings of about 11 feet in typical suites, with some sources citing up to 15 feet, along with polished or exposed concrete floors and exposed ductwork. Suites are open-plan, with the kind of long, uninterrupted walls that suit an art collection or a workspace.

Suite sizes vary a lot, and sources do not agree on the range: one profile describes about 500 to over 2,000 square feet, and coverage of individual suites includes a one-bedroom of almost 1,400 square feet and a loft of about 2,100. That is generous next to newer King West stock, where a one-bedroom is often well under 600 square feet.

Because the shells are open, some owners have carved a second bedroom out of a long living space. If you plan to do that, check what the corporation allows, how the bedroom would get natural light and whether it would legally count as a bedroom when you sell.

What is missing: amenities and parking

Office buildings were not designed with residents in mind, and it shows in the amenity list. Condos.ca lists a gym, concierge and security system, and another building profile mentions an exercise room, while a Toronto Life feature reported no fitness centre, party room or yoga studio. Treat that as a conflict and tour the amenity space yourself before you count on it.

Parking is the bigger issue. One building profile says there is no deeded parking and that monthly rentals are available, while a Toronto Life feature described a suite with its own space as uncommon here. Either way, assume you will not get parking unless the listing and the status certificate clearly say so, and note that parking is not part of the fee.

The listed amenities also include a pet restriction. I could not find the details, so if you have a pet, read the declaration and rules before you make an offer rather than after.

The block around Richmond and Brant

This corner is a quieter pocket of the Fashion District, a block north of King West’s busiest stretch. Across Brant is a revitalized park and playground with a long history, and the Waterworks food hall and residences, the Ace Hotel and the Spadina corridor are all close by. For many buyers that mix of a park view with downtown at the door is the real attraction.

Nights can be lively, as they are anywhere this close to King West’s restaurants and bars. Ask about noise on the side of the building you are buying on, and use the data panel on this page for transit and walkability details.

Pricing and fees: thin data, so be careful

With 94 suites, this building rarely has more than a listing or two at a time. When I checked, only one suite was for sale and none were for lease, which means there is no meaningful range of asking prices to quote and no reliable building average per square foot. In a building like this, one well-presented suite can move the apparent price a lot.

The fee covers common elements, heat, water and building insurance. Unlike many newer buildings on King West, air conditioning and parking are not listed, so budget for cooling and any parking rental separately. Because suites are large, compare monthly fees on a per-square-foot basis rather than as a raw number.

For a real picture of what suites have traded for over the past 12 months, see the sold data panel above, or ask me for a building sold report. With this few sales, I would always want to pair it with comparable sales from nearby loft buildings.

Building specifications

Amenities at Soho Lofts (Starwood Centre)

Think of this as a building with almost no amenities and plan accordingly. You are paying for suite size and location, not for a pool or a party room, and that is a fair trade only if you would not use those things anyway.

Jatin’s honest take on Soho Lofts (Starwood Centre)

Soho Lofts (Starwood Centre) — frequently asked questions

Looking at King West, Liberty Village and CityPlace more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.