The Goode’s mixed-use 32-storey tower is going into the neighbourhood’s last available pocket

With its Victorian architecture and romantic cobblestone streets, the Distillery District has been a draw for tourists and snap-happy wedding parties for nearly two decades, but the self-sustaining hub with retail, restaurants and art galleries galore — and no big box store in sight — is slowly evolving into an established residential community, too.

“Twenty years ago, it was nothing like it is today,” says Neil Pattison, senior vice-president development at Graywood Developments.

An east-ender for 20 years, Pattison has watched the 13-acre district blossom first hand.

“The Distillery District was a destination — you’d go there and go home. Now you’ve got more happening,” he says. “You go out in the evening, have a nice meal at El Catrin or Cluny Bistro, then grab an ice cream from Soma or a coffee from Balzac’s. You walk around looking at public art displays and people,” says Pattison, likening the area to piazzas in Europe, which are designed for lingering.

With The Goode, a 32-storey condominium being built at the gateway to the Distillery at 33 Parliament Street, Pattison and his colleagues hope to help the neighbourhood’s community and spirit grow.

The project’s name, The Goode, pays homage to Gooderham & Worts. Once one of the largest distilleries in the world, it encompasses 40-plus buildings that make up the largest collection of Victorian industrial buildings in North America, now home to more than 100 commercial tenants.

Those will be just outside The Goode’s doors. Suites range from singles to three bedrooms with studios starting in the $400,000s and one-bedrooms in the $600,000s. The corresponding square footage has yet to be released; occupancy is scheduled for 2025.

The amenities, which cater to young professionals and families, include a multi-purpose room, a co-working area, a fitness studio, a bicycle repair room, a makers table and a pet-wash area and dog run.

A large terrace with an outdoor swimming pool and rooftop garden are located on the 10th floor, atop the nine-storey podium.

The building will be one of the last opportunities for anyone to own at the Distillery, notes Pattison. The only other parcel of land left to be developed is currently rental only.

The firm architectsAlliance are behind the mixed-use building’s design. They created the original residential masterplan for the Distillery District, and were responsible for three of its existing condos.

Pattison was impressed by the architects’ ability to create “towers that are light and airy. When you stand next to them, you don’t get this sense of towers closing you in.”

When you stand far away, “it’s a bit of a magic act because they almost disappear,” he says.

That’s due to glass up top and stone detailing on the podium, a direction they’re taking for The Goode, too. Brick detailing on the L-shaped podium complements heritage details in the neighbourhood, while balconies with glass detailing hit a modernist note. Decorative metal bands frame the windows on every other floor.

Design Agency is behind the interiors. “They’re known for their hospitality work, including The Broadview Hotel,” says Pattison. “Their vernacular is black and white.”

But it’s the location that’s the real key, says Pattison. “It’s this awesome piece of land south of the Distillery District and the plan is to introduce new retail on the ground floor and expand the Distillery District by extending the overall footprint,” he says.

Located on the former site of Urban Dog, the Goode will bring 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, “adding a new commercial edge to the south of Distillery Lane, where a blank wall currently exists.”

Just like the rest of the tenants in the area, the retail and commercial operators will be carefully selected by the owner and operator of the Distillery District, Cityscape Holdings and Dream.

“That’s important, because they don’t want chain restaurants or typical stores. They try to create this unique destination,” says Pattison, “so they will be curating the retail space at the base of our condo. It’s very exciting.”

Additionally, residents get to be part of the evolution of the Port Lands redevelopment, says Pattison, citing the 18-acre Corktown Common, a lively, hilly park that anchors the West Don Lands community.

It’s surrounded by the Athletes’ Village, the former site of the 2015 Pan Am Games built by Dundee Kilmer Developments on former industrial lands. The vibrant 35-acre master-planned Canary District community is also walkable from the site, Pattison says.

Cadillac Fairview’s East Harbour, another massive master-planned community, is another short walk to the east, he says. “That’s going to turn into an urban playground, with approximately 25 acres of park and buildings around the Don River.

South of there, “they are relocating the mouth of the Don River and creating a new grand urban park,” says Pattison. “It’s one of the largest civil engineering projects in North America at the moment. In five years, it’s going to be a beautiful landscaped parkland right on the doorstep of the Distillery District.”

New residents won’t find it hard to get around, either. The proposed Ontario Line — the largest single expansion of Toronto’s subway — will include a new stop in Corktown, less than a five-minute walk from The Goode.

Suites range from singles to three bedrooms, with studio pricing starting in the $400,000s and one-bedrooms in the $600,000s. For more information, visit thegoode.condos.

Three things

Getting hitched? Grace Loves Lace, the Australian bridal company behind the most pinned wedding gown in the world, has just opened at 39 Parliament St.

With its lights display and vendors selling food, drink and speciality gifts, the outdoor Toronto Christmas Market that takes over the Distillery District is a must-visit.

Artwork by contemporary Canadians and international talent can be viewed at Arta Gallery; or rent the airy industrial space for a special function. 14 Distillery Lane

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