Condo of the Week: $1.6 million for a Leslieville unit inside a beaux-arts former chewing gum factory

Neighbourhood: Leslieville Price: $1,679,000 Maintenance fees: $1,085 a month

Size: 1,900 square feet Bedrooms: 1+1 Bathrooms: 1+1 Parking spot: 1 Real estate agent: Mark Richards and Ryan Smith, The Richards Group

Related: $3.4 million for an ’80s Yorkville classic with a fishbowl office

The Place

A one-plus-one-bedroom, one-plus-one-bathroom hard loft unit right on Carlaw. The home comes with original industrial flourishes, warm hardwood and huge windows, which make the space feel even bigger. It’s within walking distance of Crow’s Theatre, the shops on Queen, and half a dozen bus and streetcar options. And motorists are a short drive from both Kingston Road and the DVP.

The History

Built in 1914 for a mind-bending $135,000, this beaux-arts beauty is Toronto’s former Wrigley gum factory. Mountains of chewing gum were produced here during the First World War and sent to front-line soldiers to help boost morale. By 1998, developers had entirely transformed the building into live-work lofts.

The Tour

This plant was modelled after the old Wrigley headquarters in Chicago. Note the roofline stonework that still reads “WM Wrigley Jr. Company.” Squint and you can also see the sky bridge at the back of the alley (more on that later).

Residents are immediately greeted by the open-concept grand room. It comes with 14-foot ceilings, a decorative fireplace, a ceiling-mounted projector and soaring concrete columns.

Left of the entrance sits a large storage unit, ideal for saving space and showcasing books, records and tchotchkes.

And to the right is a reading nook. Closet number one leads to the washer and dryer while closet number two is for coats. As for the narrow glass-panelled door, it leads to a surprisingly large bathroom.

See? The bathroom is decked out with two matching vanities, a floating toilet and a soaker tub with built-in shelving.

And here’s that laundry station.

This view shows off the living area.

The dining area is illuminated by six funky fixtures.

Now for the kitchen, with Caesarstone counters, two-tone cabinets, a subway-tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances.

A closer look at the cooking area highlights the double farmhouse sink, the jumbo island and the wooden bar cart under the steel staircase.

Remember that sky bridge? It’s been converted into a den (and no longer accesses the neighbourhood building).

Here’s the lofty view from atop the staircase that ascends to the bedroom.

There’s no man behind the curtain here, just extra space for clothes and storage.

The bedroom also has a powder room attached.

Finally, here’s a view of the entire space. Potential buyers sure have a lot to chew on.

Have a home that’s about to hit the market? Send your property to realestate@torontolife.com.