Loft project raises the bar in city's north core

A new loft and commercial development in Thunder Bay's north core has many who work in the neighbourhood excited the venture will bring more people downtown.

By November, Michael Kuipers said he hopes to have six businesses and nine condominiums occupying the former Kilroy's Bar on Cumberland Street.

The president of Superior Lofts, a Toronto-based company that re-develops old buildings, said he will "take on similar projects" if the concept takes off.

"There's a big opportunity for us to start driving a lot more traffic into the downtown area and create something that really hasn't existed up until now," he said.

Selling 'a lifestyle'

Getting more people living in the north core is important to Jim Commuzzi, the vice-chair of the Waterfront District Business Improvement Area.

If people live in the neighbourhood, it creates a safer, more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, he said.

"This is a lifestyle," Commuzzi said.

"When you have the amount of entertainment that we have in the downtown core now, the tourism factor and the people factor … we just need … the walking traffic."

Commuzzi said he's heard of other buildings coming up for sale in the area and hopes they will also attract more new business and development.