Planning and development in York Region - missing link
NRU
Jan. 24, 2018
By Miriam Bart
York is positioned for rapid transformation with the Spadina subway extension, growing densities in Markham and Richmond Hill and increasing urbanization in Newmarket. However, in 2018, the region is turning its attention to the missing link- affordable housing.
York long-range planning director Paul Freeman says that the region's planned centres and corridors are experiencing phenomenal growth, especially along Yonge Street in Richmond Hill and in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.
He credited the increase in development applications within the Vaughan urban growth centre to the subway extension.
The region is currently working to advance the development of the Yonge subway extension to connect Highway 7 and Yonge Street in the Richmond Hill area. He also says that the construction of the new York University Campus in Markham and the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital in Vaughan will be ground breaking for the region.
York community planning and development director Karen Whitney says that we can expect to see an unprecedented number of construction cranes in the region this year.
"Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital on Major Mackenzie... is a 1.2-million ft2 hospital. We've been going through the site plan and subdivision approvals. It's one of the first hospitals in Canada to feature smart technology. It's featuring systems and medical devices that speak to one another and maximize information exchange. Some really innovative things happening with this development."
She says that while Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill are farther along, significant development is also taking place in the northern parts of the region. "By having Newmarket centre grow, it creates a regional hub for [rural] communities around... You don't have to go south to get the services. As far as support that's needed for rural communities, that's there. It's just at a different scale. [The urban and rural communities] are not exclusive from one another, they work together."
Amid growing development across the region, Freeman said that affordable housing remains a major challenge and a priority for York, but it wants the province to do more.
"We will be working with the development industry to provide affordable options and meet the needs of our community," he says.
"We have commented on inclusionary zoning and the need for those regulations that have just come out. We are concerned about the direction that has been provided. We're hoping for it to be a stronger tool. We'll see where that goes with respect to our housing incentive framework that we're working on at the same time."
In addition to development charge referrals, the region is exploring other incentives for developers to build mid-range affordable housing. Staff anticipate reporting to council later this year.
YORK REGION DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
Major development proposals are focused within regional centres and corridors. With the opening of the subway extension to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, there has been a significant increase in development proposals. The area around the future Yonge Street subway extension also has had a significant number of development proposals submitted.
Top-10 Residential Proposals
1. VMC - Portage Parkway & Butermill Avenue - Transit City 1 and 2-Proposed development of two 55-storey residential apartment buildings with 1,217 units.
2. VMC - 950 Portage Parkway - Transit City 3-Proposed development of a 55-storey residential apartment building with 606 units.
3. VMC - 3201 Highway 7-Proposed mixed-use development with three residential buildings-55 and 53 storeys connected by a five- storey podium and 42 storeys including a hotel-with 1,570 residential units, 260 hotel suites and about 15,400 ft2 of retail.
4. VMC - 2951 Highway 7 -Proposed mixed-use development with 1,328 apartments in four residential towers.
5. VMC - Jane & Portage Parkway -Proposed development of a 35-storey residential building and 62 townhomes, with 572 units.
6. Markham Centre - Southeast Corner of Highway 7 and Verdale Crescent-Markham Uptown Block 3-Proposed development of 1,011 residential units in three towers.
7. Markham - Highway 7 between South Park Rd & Saddle Creek Drive-Proposed development of two residential towers, 37 and 34 storeys, with 1,170 units.
8. Richmond Hill Centre - 55 and 65 Oneida Crescent-Proposed development of three residential apartment towers of 19, 24, and 30 storeys, with 807 units.
9. Richmond Hill - Yonge Street Corridor at 16th Avenue Key Development Area at the southeast corner-Proposed development of two residential towers of 28 and 24 storeys with 503 units on commercial podium.
10. Newmarket Centre - North of Davis Drive on the east side of Yonge-Proposed development of three residential towers of 17, 19 and 21 storeys, with 530 units and a two storey commercial component.
Top-10 Non-Residential Proposals
1. Markham Centre - York University Campus-Southeast corner of Enterprise Boulevard and Rivis Road-Proposed first phase of the York University Markham Centre Campus of with 400,000 ft2 in a 10-storey building.
2. Newmarket Centre - York Region Administrative Centre Annex-northwest corner of Yonge and Eagle Streets-Proposed development of 422,000 ft2 of office, courts and clinic space in an eight-storey building next to York Region's Administrative Centre.
3. Newmarket Centre - 514 Davis Drive-Proposed development of a five-storey office building of just under 100,000 ft2 near the Newmarket GO station.
4. Newmarket - 213 Harry Walker Parkway South-Upgrades and expansion of a 220,000 ft2 facility shifting manufacturing operations from Toronto to Newmarket is under construction.
5. Richmond Hill - 20 Brodie Drive-Northeast corner of 16th Avenue and Leslie Street.-Proposed development of a seven-storey medical office building.
6. Richmond Hill - Barker Business Park -North of Major Mackenzie Drive between Leslie Street and Highway 404-Proposed business park developments include a 60,300 ft2 office, 13,000 ft2 data centre, 107,000 ft2 warehouse, 132,000 ft2 warehouse and 94,400 ft2 data centre.
7. Vaughan - Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital - Major Mackenzie Drive at Hwy 400-A 1,200,000 ft2 hospital on a 105-ha site is under construction. It is the first hospital in Canada to feature fully integrated smart technology, which features systems and medical devices that can speak directly to one another to maximize information exchange.
8. Vaughan - 2300 Steeles Avenue West-Proposed development of four prestige office buildings just north of the York University Keele Campus and the new Spadina Subway extension.
9. VMC - Immediately west of Viva Bus Terminal, west of Millway Avenue between Portage Parkway and Apple Mill Road—-Nine-storey mixed-use building, which will include a YMCA, library, daycare and office uses is under construction. Also proposed is a standalone six-storey parking garage with 1,167 spaces on the north side of the site to provide surplus parking during the early stages of the VMC development.
10. VMC - 7977 Highway 7-Proposed development of a 217,500 ft2 15-storey office building fronting Highway 7.
