Trinity Courtyards, 94-98 Trinity St: 18 Townhomes Beside Old Corktown

Trinity Courtyards is one of the quietest ways to live in Corktown: 18 low-rise townhome-style units from 1987 on a short street lined with some of Toronto’s oldest public buildings. It is the opposite of the towers going up around King and Parliament. With so few units, it rarely comes up for sale, and when it does, the questions are about age and upkeep rather than finishes. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A low-rise complex on a historic street

Trinity Street is short, running south from King Street East toward the Distillery District, and it holds two of Corktown’s anchor buildings. Little Trinity Anglican Church, from the 1840s, sits at King and Trinity. Next door to Trinity Courtyards, the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse at 106 Trinity was built in 1848 as Toronto’s first free school, paid for by brewer Enoch Turner, and is now owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Against that backdrop, Trinity Courtyards is a modest 1980s complex: three storeys, 18 units, arranged around shared courtyard space, which is where the name comes from. Some databases describe it as townhomes, which fits the scale.

Its immediate neighbour to the south is Trinity Lofts at 90 Trinity Street and 2 Eastern Avenue, a newer eight-storey condo. The contrast between the two is a fair picture of how Corktown has changed in a generation.

What you get in a 1987 low-rise

The amenities are simple: a recreation room, a sauna, visitor parking and permission to barbecue. That is more than many small low-rise complexes offer, and the sauna is unusual for 18 units.

Expect layouts typical of the late 1980s: separate rooms rather than open-plan, more stairs than a tower suite, and ceilings at standard heights. Many units will have been renovated over almost four decades, so finishes vary widely. Walk several if you can and price the work you would want to do.

Parking is included in the fee. In Corktown, where many older homes have no parking at all, that is a real advantage.

Small corporation, old building: the questions to ask

Eighteen units share every repair. At nearly 40 years, a complex like this is likely dealing with roofs, windows, exterior cladding or brick, decks, and any underground or covered parking. None of that is unusual, but in a small corporation each project lands on few owners.

Read the reserve fund study, the budget and recent board minutes in the status certificate. Ask how the complex is heated and cooled, whether each unit has its own furnace or system, and how old those systems are, since those costs often fall on the owner rather than the corporation.

General Property Management is listed as manager. In a building this size, ask how often the manager is on site and how quickly repairs are handled.

Townhome condo or tower suite

Many buyers looking in Corktown compare a low-rise unit like this with a suite in one of the newer towers nearby. The tower gives you an elevator, a concierge, newer systems and often a gym or pool. Trinity Courtyards gives you a lower-density setting, fewer neighbours and a more house-like feel, with parking included.

Stairs are the main practical issue. A three-storey complex may mean several flights between parking, entry and bedrooms, and that matters for anyone with mobility concerns or young children. Walk the full route from the car to the bedroom before you commit.

The other difference is how the corporation feels. With 18 units, owners tend to know each other and decisions are made close to home. That can be a strength when the board is active and a weakness when few owners volunteer, so ask how many owners attend the annual meeting.

Corktown day to day

From here the Distillery District is a short walk south, and King Street East, St. Lawrence Market and Corktown Common are within reach. The street itself is quiet, which is one of the main reasons people choose low-rise living here.

Change is coming nearby. The Ontario Line is under construction around King and Parliament, and new towers are rising along King and Front. That will mean construction for a while and better transit later. The panel on this page carries the current transit and walkability figures.

Pricing at Trinity Courtyards

With 18 units and no current listings, there is no reliable building average, and I would not lean on any single past sale. Look at the sold report on this page together with nearby comparables.

The fair comparison is not Corktown’s towers but its low-rise stock: condo townhouses and stacked units in Corktown and the St. Lawrence area, and small freehold row houses nearby. A Trinity Courtyards unit should land between those, helped by included parking and a quiet street, and held back by age and shared ownership.

Fees include common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Ask for the current fee and the corporation’s budget, and compare the fee per square foot with other 1980s low-rise complexes rather than with new towers.

Ask about property taxes and utilities too. Older low-rise units often carry separate heating and hydro bills, and some have their own water heaters on rental contracts. Those costs are easy to miss when you compare a monthly fee with a newer building where more is bundled.

If you need to finance, small, older corporations can draw more questions from lenders. Have your lawyer review the status certificate as a condition, and give your lender the budget and reserve fund study early so there are no surprises in the condition period.

Building specifications

Amenities at Trinity Courtyards

The amenity list is small, but a sauna and a recreation room in an 18-unit complex are a nice extra. Most owners choose this complex for the street and the scale, not the amenities. Before relying on the sauna or recreation room, ask when they were last renovated and how they are booked, because small shared rooms in older complexes are sometimes closed or repurposed. If the Distillery and Corktown Common are your amenities, you will not miss much.

Jatin’s honest take on Trinity Courtyards

Trinity Courtyards — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.