Recently listed revamped church loft a 'crown jewel of Toronto condos'

A small piece of real estate heaven has hit the Toronto market, and homebuyers now have the rare opportunity to bid on the one-of-a-kind property.

“There’s only about a dozen church conversions in Toronto,” Jess Martenfeld, the listing agent told CTV News Toronto in an interview. “There’s 24 units in this building, so units in this building don’t come up very often at all.”

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The structure’s exterior stone, its softly arched windows and side-by-side doors are telling of its age. Built in 1910 to neo-gothic architecture, Martenfeld says that “you can’t replicate the character that comes from units like this.”

“…You see a lot of the new construction buildings that are being thrown up so fast, and the walls and the floors are very thin, you can hear your neighbours. Here, you’ve got 18-inch limestone walls, natural limestone walls that gives you such good insulation, but also just incredible soundproofing from the unit to units as well.”

The unit, listed for $2,099,000, is 1900 square feet and includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms and underground parking. It’s one of the 24 units in the registered heritage building that was repurposed for residential living in 2007.

Inside, hints of its history can be found through the antique doors and illuminating stained glass windows. The bedrooms, one at either side of the unit, have 17-foot vaulted ceilings and slabs of stone are exposed throughout the loft.

This $2 million Toronto condo is for sale inside a repurposed church building. It is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. (Photo submitted by Jess Martenfeld).

The kitchen includes a large, wooden island made upon the seller’s request.

This $2 million Toronto condo is for sale inside a repurposed church building. It is located in Roncesvalles. (Photo submitted by Jess Martenfeld).

The loft includes a balcony, adding to its uniqueness given the constraints that renovators and developers are subject to when working on a heritage building.

This $2 million Toronto condo is for sale inside a repurposed church building. (Photo submitted by Jess Martenfeld).

Martenfeld says that the listing has gained a lot of interest since being on the market in the last 30 days, however he hasn’t received an offer, yet.

A benefit, Martenfeld says, is that the rarity of the property secures the unit’s value amid market fluctuations.

“Anyone could go into a new construction building and buy something here, but a unit like this in a building like this is so unique and it’s so recession-proof, because everybody wants something that no one else has. And that’s exactly what we have here,” he said about the property. “We’ve got a crown jewel of Toronto condos here.”