Tribeca Lofts, 797 Don Mills Rd: An Office Tower Converted to 175 Lofts

Tribeca Lofts is the building I point to when a buyer wants loft ceilings and a real two-bedroom-sized floor plan on a one-bedroom budget. It is a 17-storey office building near Don Mills and Eglinton that was converted to 175 condos in 2001, and it still carries the bones of that past: tall ceilings, deep floor plates and large windows. It is not glamorous, and the fees are not low, but the space-for-money equation is hard to beat. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An office building with a second life

Tribeca Lofts began as a commercial office building. It was converted to 175 residential suites over 17 floors in 2001, with TWS Developments recorded as the developer. A listing feature from Get What You Want describes the original design only as the work of internationally known commercial architects, without naming them.

Office-to-residential conversions are uncommon in Toronto, especially at this height. The advantage is structural: office floors are built with taller floor-to-floor heights and wider spans than apartment towers, and that carries through into the suites. One suite marketed in the building was described with 10-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The result is a building that feels more like a condo than a brick-and-beam hard loft, but with proportions you will not find in a typical 2000s tower. Expect open plans, big glass and city views from the upper floors rather than exposed timber and brick.

Layouts: big one-plus-dens and two-bedrooms

Condos.ca puts suite sizes at roughly 585 to 1,178 square feet. The building’s signature plan is the one-bedroom-plus-den, and in this building the den is often large enough to work as a second bedroom. Active listings when I checked included one-plus-dens in the 600, 700 and 800 square foot bands, which is generous for that type.

The deep office floor plate does have a trade-off. Some interior space sits a long way from the windows, so dens and inner bedrooms can be darker than you would expect. Look at where the windows actually are on the plan, and visit during the day.

With 175 suites, there is a steady flow of listings and leases, which makes comparables easier to find here than in most conversions. Condos.ca notes a pet restriction, so check the declaration and rules for the exact terms.

Don Mills and Eglinton, day to day

The building sits on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue, in Flemingdon Park. This is a practical, car-friendly location: the Don Valley Parkway is close, and Highway 401 and 404 are a short drive north. The Shops at Don Mills and the big-box retail around Eglinton cover most daily needs.

The Don Valley trail system is close by, which is one of the underrated advantages of living here. Sunnybrook and the Leaside neighbourhood are also within easy reach.

Eglinton Avenue is the area’s main transit corridor, with the Eglinton Crosstown line running along it. Exact stops and walking times are in the data panel on this page. The Don Mills and Eglinton intersection went through years of Crosstown construction, and the land around it is the kind that attracts redevelopment, so expect the area to keep changing.

Conversion or new tower: the real comparison

Most buyers who look at Tribeca Lofts are also looking at newer towers along Eglinton and in the Don Mills area. A new building will give you current finishes, newer mechanical systems and usually a lower fee per square foot. It will also give you smaller suites, standard ceiling heights and a much higher price per square foot.

Here, you trade newness for volume. A one-plus-den in this building is often the size of a two-bedroom elsewhere, and the extra height makes it feel larger again. If you are willing to renovate a kitchen or bathroom over time, the bones are the part you cannot buy in a new tower.

The honest test is your monthly budget. Add the mortgage and the fee together for a suite here, then do the same for a smaller suite in a newer building plus its separate heating, cooling and parking costs. For many buyers, Tribeca comes out ahead on space per dollar, but not always on the monthly payment.

Tribeca Lofts on price

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $576 per square foot. That is very low for a Toronto loft, and it is the main reason this building is on so many first-time buyers’ lists. You are buying space and ceiling height at a price closer to an older suburban tower than a downtown loft.

When I checked, there were five suites for sale and three for rent. The four one-bedroom-plus-den listings asked from about $359,000 to $565,000, covering the 600 to 899 square foot bands. Fees on those one-plus-dens ran from about $710 to $900 a month, and the average across active listings worked out to roughly $1.06 per square foot.

That fee is high, and you need to look at it clearly. It does include heat, air conditioning, water and parking, which narrows the gap with newer buildings that bill those separately. Even so, the fee is a big part of the monthly cost here, and it is the reason the purchase price is so low. For recorded sale figures, see the data panel on this page or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Tribeca Lofts

The amenity package is modest but complete: concierge, a gym, a party room, a meeting room and guest suites. It covers the basics for daily life and having family stay over, without the pool and spa costs that push fees even higher in other buildings.

Jatin’s honest take on Tribeca Lofts

Tribeca Lofts — frequently asked questions

Looking at Leslieville, Riverdale, the Beaches, Danforth and Leaside more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.