The Hive Lofts, 51 Lady Bank Rd: Teeple’s Zinc Boutique on The Queensway

The Hive Lofts is the building on The Queensway that people slow down to look at. It is a six-storey, zinc-wrapped block of about 18 suites by Teeple Architects, finished in 2014, and it is the closest thing this stretch has to a design building. Tiny buildings come with their own risks, and I will walk you through them. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A mid-rise designed to make a point

Teeple Architects used this corner lot to show what Toronto’s avenue mid-rise guidelines can produce when an architect leans into them instead of fighting them. The sloped rear wall that most mid-rises hide is the shape the guidelines require, and here it is wrapped in the same dark zinc as the street face, so the angle becomes the building’s signature.

The result looks nothing like the brick-and-precast buildings around it. Symmetry said at launch that it wanted a contemporary building that did not water itself down for a suburban street, and that it saw The Queensway growing into something like Bloor West Village over time.

There is a small retail space at grade, which Teeple included to keep the commercial character of The Queensway going at street level. The architect’s project page uses an address of 892 The Queensway, while the condominium uses 51 Lady Bank Road, so expect to see both in records.

Loft feel, compact plans

This is new construction with a loft look, not a conversion. The launch materials described open-concept suites with exposed concrete ceilings at roughly 10 feet in most units, and DKStudio, a firm known for retail interiors, did the finishes.

The original plans ran from about 523 sq ft for a one-bedroom to about 1,075 sq ft for a two-bedroom plus den. Condos.ca now shows a wider range of about 488 to 1,302 sq ft, which may reflect how a few suites were combined or measured. Most of the building is one-bedroom and one-bedroom-plus-den.

Nearly every suite was planned with a balcony or terrace, the largest at about 290 sq ft. On a building this small, the terrace suites are the ones that trade at a premium, so ask exactly which outdoor space comes with the suite and whether it is exclusive-use common element.

Exposed concrete and high ceilings make a 550 sq ft one-bedroom feel bigger than it is, but they also change how the suite lives. Sound carries more in a hard-surfaced room, lighting is usually on track or surface mounts rather than pot lights, and storage is limited. Walk the suite with your furniture plan in hand, and ask whether a locker comes with it.

The car stacker, and what it means for you

Parking here uses a mechanical stacker, a car lift that raises one vehicle so a second can park below it. When the building opened, it was reported as a first for the neighbourhood, and it is how a site this tight fits parking at all.

Stackers are convenient until they are not. If your space is on the upper platform, you may depend on the system working to get your car out, and if you share a stacker with a neighbour, you may need to coordinate. Ask whether your space is upper or lower, whether it is independent or tandem, and how often the system has been out of service.

Also ask about the maintenance contract. The equipment needs regular servicing and eventually replacement, and in an 18-suite building the cost of that is split among very few owners. The reserve fund study should have a line for it.

What 18 owners means for daily life

A building this small is quiet, and you will know your neighbours. Condos.ca lists no concierge, gym or party room, so the fee is not paying for amenity staff. Condos.ca lists BBQs as permitted, a security system and a pet restriction, which you should read in the declaration and rules before you commit.

The trade-off is that every decision is shared among a handful of owners. One owner falling behind on fees, or one big repair, matters more here than in a 300-suite tower. Read the budget, the reserve fund study and recent board minutes, and ask how many suites are owner-occupied.

The location is practical rather than walkable in the downtown sense. Costco and IKEA are a short drive along The Queensway, and the Gardiner ramps are close. The data panel covers transit and walkability.

The street is changing around it. The Queensway has been adding mid-rise and tower projects for more than a decade, and Symmetry’s bet at launch was that the corridor would fill in with shops and restaurants. Before you buy, check the City’s development applications map for proposals near Lady Bank and Islington, because a new building next door can affect light and views in a six-storey building.

Price per square foot and what the fee covers

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $537 per square foot. That is low for a 2014 building with this kind of design, and I would treat it with caution: with only 18 suites, a few sales can move the average a long way. Pull the actual recent sales in the building and in comparable Queensway mid-rises before you set a number.

The fee includes heat, air conditioning, parking and water as well as common elements and insurance, which is a generous package for a building with no staffed amenities. There is only one active listing right now, so I will not quote its price or fee. I can pull the building’s recent sold history for you through my building sold report.

When you compare it with a newer Queensway tower, add back the parking and heating costs that those buildings usually bill separately. Then subtract nothing for amenities, because you will not have any here.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Hive Lofts

There is no amenity floor to speak of. What you get is a secure, small building with BBQ-friendly outdoor space and parking, which keeps the fee focused on utilities and upkeep rather than staff and equipment.

Jatin’s honest take on The Hive Lofts

The Hive Lofts — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.