Gupta Group grilled over proposed 'landmark' towers in Thornhill
Company, slammed for cancelling condos near Vaughan TTC subway station, says new high-density project in line with provincial Growth Plan
Dina Al-Shibeeb
May 14, 2019
Yorkregion.com
Several residents voiced concerns about a proposed condominium development in Thornhill during an at-times heated public meeting with representatives for Gupta Group, already under fire for cancelling condos near the Vaughan subway station.
Some of the people who attended the May 8 public meeting, being billed as a “landmark” project, at Garnet A. Williams Community Centre on the proposed new development at Yonge and Steeles questioned the soaring towers that far exceed the city’s height limit, saying they "fought hard" to set the limit at 30-plus storeys.
The proposal by the Gupta Group includes three towers, 50, 56, 65 storeys respectively, as well as a hotel and office and retail space.
In response on why these towers exceed the limit, Don Given, land use plan consultant for the Gupta Group, said it was “deliberate.”
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He said the high-density proposal is in line with the provincial government’s Growth Plan to “maximize the opportunity for revenue generation” by opting for higher densities and ties in with the completion of the subway, expected in 2028.
The development is intended to be a “landmark” project which also aims to reduce people’s dependence on automobiles since the site is set to be bolstered by the public transportation including the future TTC, Viva and GO Bus.
To make people “get out of their cars,” the proposed towers will have 1,812 units but only 1,270 proposed vehicle parking. This has irked some in the audience, who already fear traffic congestion, with one senior man audibly demanding, “I want a car, it’s my right.” He want on asking if these five consultants own cars; all of them did.
Vaughan Ward 5 councillor Alan Shefman wasn’t shy from saying that he wants to see an “iconic” development at the site that impresses those visiting the city.
When addressing the height of the buildings being “much more than the height we contemplated when we built the secondary plan about five, six years ago,” Shefman said people have the right to bring a proposal of “any density they want.”
“If it is unreasonable, then there won’t be a chance that it would happen. However, if it is within a reason, then we consider it very seriously.”
He said the city is far away from making any decisions on the proposal. The Gupta Group too needs to make its analysis on traffic.
Since the site borders both Markham and Toronto, the two are engaged in the planning process and are expected to receive comments from the City of Vaughan as well as York Region. The company has also worked with the TTC on the proposal.
“It gets scrutinized by communities in the region and municipalities,” said Given, president at Malone Given Parsons Ltd., who is one of a five-member consultant team working on the project.
At the meeting, Mario Angelucci, Gupta Group's director of development and planning, weathered fiery questions on why people should trust the company following the cancellation of the Icona condos in the city's emerging downtown last year.
One man in the audience tried to grill Angelucci over the real reason why Icona project was cancelled, telling him to stop “lying” to people.
It’s not the lack of funding but the “restrictive covenant” as the real reason over why the project was axed, the man added.
People also questioned how the project is going to be funded in hindsight of the Icona cancellation, asking for more assurances. But the consultants said it’s too early to discuss that since the proposal hasn’t been approved.
