Former Hudson's Bay president Bonnie Brooks is selling her swanky Yorkville condo

FORMER HUDSON'S BAY PRESIDENT BONNIE BROOKS IS SELLING HER SWANKY YORKVILLE CONDO

Steve Kupferman, Toronto Life

Image courtesty of: Sotheby's International Realty

As president and, later, vice-chair of Hudson's Bay Company, Bonnie Brooks helped transform the chain from a tired mall retailer into a national fashion brand powerful enough to swallow Saks whole. Although she resigned her role at the company in 2016, she still has a number of high-profile positions, including a seat on the board of Rogers.

In May 2017, Brooks closed on a condo that seems as though it would be perfect for someone with her business clout: a $2.2-million luxury suite at 77 Charles Street West, an upscale condo tower near Bay and Bloor with 24-hour concierge service. She's not planning on staying for much longer though. Last week, she put the place on the market for $2.395-million, about $200,000 more than she paid. 

Although the unit is a two-bedroom, it's larger than most two bedrooms, with more than 1,700 SF of living space and a 60-foot balcony. It has engineered hardwood flooring, Poliform shelving and a kitchen by Downsview Kitchens. The building is perched atop Kintore College, a limestone all-female residence for University of Toronto students. 

The building does, however, have relatively high maintenance fees ($2,533 per month, or about $1.50 per square foot) which pay for some amenities that go well beyond what's offered in typical condo buildings. The service is impeccable, there's a gymnasium, a boardroom, and the care that is given to each individual owner is pretty amazing. It's been described as a bit like a hotel. If you were travelling and you forgot a dress, or your husband's dinner jacket, they would go and retrieve something out of your suite and put it in a limousine or send it to you.

As for why Brooks is selling after less than a year: she's looking for a new place to live, but not because she dislikes the unit. This isn't new for Brooks, she loves projects and loves changing or altering properties and doing them up. And then she has her eye out for another project. 

The chandelier in the living area is by Bocci:

Here's a view of the kitchen and dining area:

There's a bit of a den space:

The artwork in the master bedroom is by the Chinese artist Chen Yu. Bonnie was in Hong Kong for a long time, working for Lane Crawford before she moved back to Canada so a lot of her art pieces are Chinese works she brought back with her.

The balcony has a view of downtown:

To view this property, please contact: 

MATT SMITH, MBA - matt@thesmithestate.com - 647.929.7674
Real Estate Broker
Top Producer Award of Excellence

Forest Hill Real Estate Inc., Yorkville Branch
28a Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2E2