A new downtown condominium project set for construction this spring is nearly sold out, says the building's developer, Gordon Clark.

Clark said Thursday that after unveiling his plans nearly a month ago to build an eight-unit condominium project at 6100 Sixth Ave. between the United Church and Griffith's Plumbing and Heating, he has very few units left.

'We only have ground-floor units left,' he said in an interview.

'Basically, we've got our development permit and our final plans; we're just going to wait for the frost to get out of the ground,' Clark said of the project.

According to an information brochure circulated by Clark, four eight-unit condominiums are planned for the property over the next few years.

The properties are referred to as Parkside Place.

The first building, referred to as building A, breaks ground this spring.

Units will cost $137,500 for a first floor one-bedroom; $222,000 for a first floor two-bedroom; $232,000 for second and third floor two-bedrooms; and $232,000 for a fourth floor two-bedroom unit.

While at first glance the units may be considered expensive to some, Clark said, an elevator in the building has made the project more costly.

'If you took the elevator out, it would be about $25,000 less per unit.'

He said as the population of Whitehorse ages and more people choose to retire here, he feels the elevator would be something that consumers would be looking for.

Clark also said with the price of building materials and the cost of labour, people could be expecting to pay more as opposed to less in the coming years for similar accommodations.

'If anybody says that these are expensive, they'll never be less expensive than this.'

He said plans for three other buildings are in the works.

'Building B is proposed for occupancy in spring of 2007, with C and D proposed for completion by the end of 2007,' Clark's information package states.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa said Thursday he favours the high-density development project, saying it will help keep the downtown core vibrant.

'I'm in favour of it. In a lot of respects, it's what we're trying to do to ensure that we have a vibrant downtown.

'You won't have a vibrant downtown if you don't have people living there,' he said.

Bourassa's remarks echo similar comments made by members of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) at a green space and development workshop held earlier this month.

CMHC spokespeople told workshop attendees that their organization, which conducts national research on housing, favours mixed-used zoning and high-density housing to minimize environmental impacts.

The CMHC is Canada's national housing agency. It was established as a government-owned corporation in 1946 to address Canada's post-war housing shortage.

The agency provides mortgage loan insurance, housing policy and programs and housing research.

Bourassa said he favours lifting the four-storey height restriction 'in appropriate areas' downtown.

'It all depends on where it's going to go.'

He said he advocates lifting the city's four-storey height restriction on a case-by-case basis, as will be called for in the city's upcoming Downtown Plan.

That measure would permit more high-density housing in appropriate areas and help ease the effects of the city's land crunch, he said.

While he advocates some high-density housing, Bourassa said, he would prefer to see a mixed use of high- and low-density housing and commercial properties with residences above them.