The first of the
Distillery District's two new condo towers, built on the site of the only building in the district to be demolished, a 1926 rack house, poured its first concrete this week, on schedule at about 8 months ahead of its neighbour.
Clear Spirit will be a 40-storey tower, designed by
Architects Alliance. Due for occupancy in mid-2012, it will add between 700,000 and 800,000 square feet of residential space to the district when paired with the other tower, called Gooderham for the family behind the original distillery.
"There will probably be one more restaurant," says James Goad, one of the motivating spirits behind the Distillery District and a principal of the Cityscape Development Corporation. "For the most part, it will fit the creative model [of the district], but we're also trying to provide some services for our little community here."
The tower will be characterized by deeper than average balconies, between 6 and 7 feet as opposed to the more usual 4. It will have about 10 three-bedroom units, around 1,600 square feet each, and will be seeking LEED certification.
Goad says that these are the last two buildings that will go up in the district proper, though the company owns lands adjoining the district that they have future plans for, including a (probably) low-rise building to the south.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: James Goad
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