Welcome to urbaneer.com’s Home Of The Month. This monthly feature provides a snap shot of what urbaneer.com’s Buyers have recently purchased in the City of Toronto.
As much as we assist Buyers climbing the property ladder, we also guide those whom are downscaling from their larger dwelling into something a bit more manageable and low-maintenance. So when our fab Zoomer client contacted us to say she was seeking a condominium in Riverdale which would keep her within walking distance to her children and her grandkids, we instantly knew her next place should be in Printer’s Row on Logan Avenue. It was steps from her family, and offered that hard-to-find lofty ambience with ample outdoor space in this neighbourhood setting.
Printer’s Row is located in Prime Riverdale, just north of Gerrard Street East on Logan Avenue where you can throw on your coat and walk up the street to your neighbourhood convenience store or the Riverdale Perk, a lovely neighbourhood cafe perfect to unwind during a particularly hectic day. It’s a short stroll to the Chester Subway station on the Bloor Line, the IGA grocer who still offer home delivery, plus a myriad of sundry, home furnishing and fashion retailers (not to forget liquor store, cafes, pubs and organic Carrot Common!). It’s around the corner from Withrow Park – one of the city’s most enchanting urban green spaces with a weekly summer farmers’ market from May to October – plus it’s just up the street from Gerrard for ethnic shopping, the best French restaurant in Chinatown – Batifole – and the downtown streetcar. A few blocks south is hip Queen East, with its purveyors of great home design furnishings like Snob, Hardware and Avenue Road! For those who celebrate a walking life, this coveted leafy neighbourhoods in the downtown core has a Walk Score of 92 out of 100!
Printers Row was completed by renowned loft conversion developer Bob Mitchell in 2001. Designed by architect W. F. Carmichael in 1911, what was originally the Bell Telephone Company’s world headquarters eventually spent a portion of its life as the ABSO Blueprint Factory until its more recent conversion into loft residences. Comprising of twelve 2 and 3 storey lofts with secure parking on the lowest level, this discreet intimate walk-up offers stylish low-maintenance living.
This particular loft was ideal for our Buyer. Being on the main level, it comprised around 1000 square feet of airyness. Facing south with a generous sun-drenched terrace overlooking mature trees, this visually arresting loft has an incredible volume of space with ceiling heights to seventeen feet and an abundance of south-facing windows overlooking a mature garden.
On the main level is a powder room tucked off the foyer serving the entertainment level, which is an open concept area comprising a kitchen, dining area, and a two storey volume with gas fireplace and French doors accessing the terrace with gas barbecue hook-up. On the upper level, an open concept mezzanine overlooking the living room provided a zone for a home office and sleeping with a 4-piece bath.
This loft had been tenanted for ten years and was a little worse for wear. When the seller and original developer called me up asking what to do, we agreed that he could either vacate the tenant a clean it up for resale at $599,900, or we could come to market with an ‘as-is’ price of $549,900 and he would offer to custom renovate to suit for a nominal fee.
Here are some photos showing the place occupied by the lovely albeit messy long term tenant:
This property sold exclusively, meaning it never came to market on the Multiple Listing Service. I sold several of the lofts for developer Bob Mitchell back in 1999 when he initially launched the project (I also bought one too!). As a realtor with a forte in Innovative Space, I’ve negotiated seven trades (out of twelve units) in this building over the past decade. It was pure serendipity (it often is!) that when Bob called me with his idea of offering the loft at an ‘as-is’ price with his willingness to custom-renovate to suit, I instantly knew I had the right client to purchase it.
My Buyer bought this before anyone else could view it. On vacant possession this loft was gutted and rebuilt to my Buyer’s specifications. What does it look like?
Stay tuned for our Reveal! **Update – Here is the Reveal posted April 2013
~ Steven and the urbaneer team
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Buy Of The Month
