The Richmond Mews Lofts is a boutique loft conversion on Richmond Street East, just west of Sherbourne. The accepted story is that it was originally some sort of musical instrument factory. With larger condos on either side, it is easy to miss this small loft building.

The original building was 3 stories of brownish brick. When it was converted around 1997 (said to be by Alan Gordon, though there does not appear to be any evidence to support this) 2 more floors were added and the stucco exterior was added. The small domed canopy over the front door has been a fixture for decades and it is nice that the developers kept it.

The Richmond Mews Lofts at 287 Richmond Street East

The Richmond Mews Lofts contains only 15 suites on 5 floors. Located in a highly developing area, these lofts could become a very popular alternative to the bland mega condo projects currently being offered in Toronto’s lower east side. If anyone knew about them. The building is easy to miss and they rarely come up for sale. But the prices are reasonable when one is available.

Tons of lofty charm inside the Richmond Mews Lofts

The ceilings are high, and all suites feature hardwood floors and large, multi-pane windows. Units vary from just under 800 up to 1,300 square feet, and are single level or 2-storeys. Upper level units with 2 storeys have walkouts to their own private terraces. Hardwood floors and wood slat ceilings complement the authentic loft vibe. Exposed brick surrounds the large warehouse windows. There are no amenities to speak of and parking is a surface lot behind the building.

The Richmond Mews Lofts may not be huge, but they have character

They complete the local triad of loft conversions. Just to the southeast, maybe 100 feet away and sharing a parking lot, is the Imperial Lofts. This 2-building loft complex stretches for almost the entire block of Sherbourne from Richmond to Adelaide. And then southeast of there, kitty-corner across the Sherbourne/Adelaide intersection is the Liberty Lofts. Add in the St. Lawrence Market to the south and the Distillery District further southeast and it is easy to see why I love this area. Not only is it the original heart of Old Toronto, it is just filled with heritage and history.

The 1947 aerial photo showing the Richmond Mews Loft building. You can see the Imperial Lofts at 1a and 1b, with the Liberty Lofts marked with a 2. The Heintzman building is flush to the NE corner of Sherbourne and Adelaide.

I have not been able to nail down when the building was built. It does not appear on the 1924 Goad’s fire map, for instance, but you can see it on the 1947 aerial photo of the City. So we can only assume it was built sometime between 1924 and 1947.

Adding to that, there is no evidence of who built it. Legend has always been that it was an “instrument factory” but there are no records to back that up. Not only that, but we don’t even know what kind of “instruments” were made there. Musical instruments? Surgical instruments?

Looking out across Moss Park in the early 1990s we can just make out the little building on Richmond Street East, before development hid everything from view

Nearby is the old Heintzman building at the northeast corner of Adelaide and Sherbourne. Is there a possible connection between the old piano factory at 63-75 Sherbourne Street and the Richmond Mews Lofts? The Heintzman building was constructed around 1911-1912, but by 1933 the buildings were home to Malcolm & Hill Furniture. The buildings are now the Studio City office complex. There is a little overlap between 1924 and 1933 where there may have been a connection. But I think I am just reaching here.

The building shows up in 1992 on MLS, with photos showing a “Benjamin Film Laboratories” sign on the front. And again in 1996. Looking into this, we find that George Benjamin worked as a chemist in Germany and England after WWII. In 1952 he moved to Toronto and founded his own business – Benjamin Film Laboratories – for the developing of colour film.

And old 1996 MLS photo of the Richmond Mews Lofts showing the Benjamin Film sign. Note the awning over the front door! This is the sale that led to the conversion of the building.

Is it possible that Benjamin Film Laboratories was there from 1952 to 1996? Maybe, but hard to say. There are Toronto Star ads for Benjamin Film Laboratories from 1982 through to 1991. No other mention of the film company prior to 1982. You can see from the older photos that the loft building was originally only 2-1/2 stories. Not quite 3 stories as it looks like the bottom floor was partly below grade. The top 2 floors were added during the conversion to lofts.

A 1982 ad for Benjamin Film in the Toronto Star

Tracking down the developer is as hard. The first sales to show up on MLS were not from the builder, it was original owners selling them. These sales started in 1998, which supports the accepted conversion date of 1997. But there is no architect of note named Alan Gordon in Toronto. One of the original sellers was named Alan Gordon, but that was only one name among many. There is an engineer of the same name who has supported laneway housing in Toronto. And a history prof at University of Guelph who specializes in urban history. Those are interesting possibilities but there is nothing definitive, unfortunately.

The Richmond Mews Lofts are surrounded by a great neighbourhood full of history

Like I said, the Richmond Mews Lofts are located in one of best areas in Toronto. Located around the corner from St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District, you won’t have to go far for good shopping. Restaurants abound along King Street East and the downtown core is a short walk away.

————————————————————————————————–
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.
————————————————————————————————–