The dusty, windswept land surrounding the Tower Automotive Building and Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is set to see a huge upgrade, a new proposal at 150 Sterling Road promising to mend a gap in the area's post-industrial urban fabric.

Developer Marlin Spring has proposed a 13-storey mixed-use building on the curved elbow of Sterling Road. Designed by Giannone Petricone Associates, the condo development features a stylish Streamline Moderne-inspired base with sculptural supports and prominent mural space at its ground floor.

The tower above is planned to reach a height of 51 metres, tucked away to the west of the base and positioned to maintain views of the adjacent Tower Automotive Building.

The unconventional design actually comes as a bit of a pleasant surprise, as developer Marlin Spring has not exactly built up much of a reputation for splashy architecture with past projects, typically employing architects to design investor-friendly boxes over statement pieces with daring curves.

A total of 185 condominium units would join the block next to MOCA, almost evenly split between single- and multi-bedroom suites.

Before neighbours freak out about a new condo building joining their neighbourhood, they should know that the proposal includes a vital community amenity in the form of a 36-space childcare centre accommodating infant, toddler and preschool children.

The childcare centre would come with its own dedicated lobby on the east side of the ground floor, as well as an outdoor play area on the mezzanine level.

Concentrating density on this site also opens up the future second block of the development lands around the Auto Building for a new public park.

While nearby residents may not be thrilled about the building's proposed height, a shorter building would almost certainly remove the park from the equation.

So before you start on that "no more condos" rant, consider that new development can often create some real benefits for a community.