Developer hopes to save windswept James Baptist Church window

The head of the James Baptist Church condo project says he's doing everything he can to save a historic window blown overby strong winds during Monday's storm.

Louie Santaguida of Stanton Renaissancesays he'll preserve the old church's historic window as much as possible after winds knocked it overat the corner of James South and Jackson. His crews are already working on it.

"We are devastated by this event and thankful no one was hurt," he said in a statement.

Santaguida plans to build an $80-million, 30-storey condo tower behind what remains of the 1878 church. His crews have demolished two-thirds of the crumbling structure, leaving only the facade.

That included a long white window frame crews had dismantled and secured to the south facade, he said. But it was no match for the wind and toppled into the alley.

"We are currently assessing the damage to the window and are working toward preserving it as much as possible," he said. "Our goal remains to create a development that respects our heritage and looks forward to our future."

Plans for Santaguida's project, called The Connolly, show commercial space and as many as 260 condos.

The condos will be one to three bedrooms and marketed to those who want an "urban lifestyle," he said.

Marketing and sales started this fall. Santaguida hopes to sell 65 to 70 per cent of them before he moves forward with construction.