The early-2000s restoration of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery into a pedestrian-friendly shopping and dining destination was the first of many recent changes to the historic site near Front and Parliament Streets, as a wave of development would follow the successful restoration. Back on September 16th, 2006, construction was under way at the site of Pure Spirit condos, lining the south side of Mill Street between Parliament and just west of Trinity Street.

Looking east on Mill Street from Parliament Street, September 16th, 2006, image by Edward Skira

Jumping forward to August 12th, 2015, and the architectsAlliance-designed Pure Spirit condominium development has long since been completed. The building is notable for its distinctive wedge-shaped podium, framing Gristmill Lane. The building is now joined by two more architectsAlliance-designed condo towers, Clear Spirit and The Gooderham, both blocked from view in the image below by Pure Spirit. On the left side of the photo, we can see Equinix's recently-opened TR2 Data Centre on Parliament, just north of Mill, while a small sliver of the Pan Am Village in the West Don Lands is visible in the background.

Looking east on Mill Street from Parliament Street, August 12th, 2015, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!