The Loretto Lofts are located in the Annex in a building originally designed by architect Neil G. Beggs and completed in 1914. The heritage designated structure incorporates numerous Beaux-Arts Design principals popular at the time. The existing building was maintained and restored in keeping with its historic relevance and beauty. The overall complex is centred on an interior landscaped courtyard and amenities pavilion.

The restored facade of the old Loretto convent on Brunswick Avenue

Completed in 2007 by Context Developments, this is one of the few lofts in The Annex. Next door to the Schoolhouse Lofts at 391 Brunswick, these are the only loft buildings in the area. There are a few scattered around Dupont and Davenport – but this is one part of Toronto that everyone wants a loft in, but that has very limited supply.

Loretto Lofts can be large and luxurious

A fire in December 1999 at the older of the two buildings, at 387 Brunswick, turned out to be the beginning of the end for the Loretto Sisters on the street. The grand five-storey structure had opened its doors to 200 pupils in September 1915 as the Loretto Abbey Day School.

Loretto College under construction in February, 1914

In 2001, the Sisters made the difficult decision to sell the 1915 building, which by then had been designated a heritage site, and the school next door at 391 Brunswick, which opened in 1954. The buildings were sold as one property, but the new owner later resold them as separate entities.

The original Loretto Abbey (1865-1930) at Wellington and Spadina in 1923

Loretto College School was founded as a private school by the Sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1915. The roots of the school go back to 1847 when the Loretto Sisters from Ireland opened a boarding and day school for young Catholic women in Toronto.

Workers in front of the Loretto Lofts, probably in 1914 or 1915

While the sod was turned and the cornerstone blessed for this new building in September 1913, classes actually began in the three-story house at the back of the property. The commercial students from 81 Bond Street transferred to “Casa” in October 1913, and the music pupils from 538 Dovercourt Road came in 1914. When the main building opened, Casa became a residence.

If this isn’t your dream kitchen, we need to talk

In September 1915, “Loretto Abbey Day School” opened in the new building at 387 Brunswick Avenue. The school comprised about 200 girls from Grades 1 to 13, including boarders and day students; the commercial and music students from Casa; and boys from Grades 1 to 3.

Oddly enough, there aren’t a lot of historical photos of the Loretto Lofts

In 1918, when Loretto College moved into this building from the old Abbey, the name was changed to “Loretto Abbey Day School and College,” and gradually became “Loretto College School,” remaining so even after the College moved to 86 St. George Street in 1937. As the High School continued to grow, Casa and Bains (purchased in 1947) were demolished in May 1953 to make way for the new school building north of 387 Brunswick, which opened in September 1954.

If you can afford a penthouse at Loretto Lofts, this will be your view

The Junior School closed in June 1949. The boarding school closed c. 1960, the Secretarial Department in 1981. The Music Department and High School continued to grow, absorbing more space in the Convent building, and, from 1986-2001, expanding into a south campus. A modern new facility for “Loretto College School” was already under construction by the Toronto Catholic Separate School Board when a fire in the Convent building on December 3, 1999 caused serious smoke damage. As a result, the Sisters moved from the premises at that time, and the school on Brunswick Avenue closed in June 2001.

You can see how well the developer preserved the facade of the Loretto Lofts

The conversion of the older building into condos was completed in 2007, with the conversion of the 1954 building into the Schoolhouse Lofts coming after. Context handled The Loretto, while Empire did the Schoolhouse.

The larger Loretto Lofts have massive master bedrooms

The three-storey Loretto building now boasts two additional floors that are surrounded by balconies and spacious terraces overlooking the leafy neighbourhood. Those additional floors are home to five two-storey penthouses that are perfect for entertaining and provide stunning views of the neighbourhood and Casa Loma.

The Loretto Lofts have units that are much like a house

The conversion was complicated – the rear facade and a gymnasium at the back of the building were demolished, and a parking garage was built underneath. The back of the structure was rebuilt and the two additional storeys were added. The architect estimates that two-thirds of the original structure was kept. The red-brick masonry, as well as such structural elements as supporting walls and window heights, have been retained.

The Loretto Lofts lobby. Exciting, I know.

Much of the atmosphere surrounding The Loretto comes from the neighbourhood itself, which is close to U of T, the Royal Ontario Museum, art galleries, fine restaurants, theatres and the exclusive shops of Yorkville. The building’s best amenity is its location.

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Contact Laurin Jeffrey for more information – 416-388-1960

Laurin Jeffrey is a Toronto real estate agent with Century 21 Regal Realty.
He did not write every article, some are reproduced here for people who
are interested in Toronto real estate. He does not work for any builders.
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