5 things to look forward to in Stouffville in 2020

The launch of an affordable housing building, developments along Hwy. 48 and a new farmers market are among Mayor Iain Lovatt's highlights for the new year

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 2, 2020
Simon Martin

2019 was a big year in Stouffville, when a very experienced council got down to business with new Mayor Iain Lovatt after a rocky term under former mayor Justin Altmann.

Looking forward to 2020, there are several items coming down the pike.

Groundbreaking for Housing York affordable housing building

Among the things Lovatt is looking forward to most in the new year is the affordable housing project that will be part of the transformation of Stouffville Road. Housing York Inc. is set to to build a six-storey, 100-unit facility at 5676 Main St. The location was previously home to Chas. Richards & Sons.

“There is significant demand,” general manager of Housing York Rick Farrell said. “Rental housing in this region is in very short supply.” Lovatt, who is also vice-chair of Housing York, said it's wonderful to have such a prominent location for the project. The 3.7-acre property is located immediately east of the Metro Plaza on Stouffville's Main Street. The building will be located near the road with parking in behind. The building will be comprised of one, two and three-bedroom units. The land is large enough that a second building could be constructed in the future.

Regional approval of two big projects on Hwy. 48

Whitchurch-Stouffville council has ambitious plans for the Hwy. 48 and Hoover Park area. But before moving ahead with a pair of high-density proposals, Lovatt and co. need to get regional approval for land conversion.  The vacant 66.7 acres on the northeast corner of the intersection is currently zoned employment land, but mixed proposal-specific uses being contemplated include a marketplace, library (not municipally owned), office, hotel and conference centre, school/residence, agricultural centre, live/work townhouse units and apartment units. The developer has indicated that the proposal will generate approximately 1,940 jobs and accommodate 2,929 residents.

Across the road, SmartCentres has submitted an employment land conversion request to the region for the property located at the southeast corner of Hoover Park Drive and Highway 48. The specific proposal is seeking eight to 12-storey office buildings, mixed-use buildings and residential buildings along the Hoover Park Drive frontage. The developer has indicated to the town that the proposal within the lands subject to conversion will generate about 1,078 jobs and accommodate approximately 1,448 residents.

New farmers market

For years, Stouffville was known for its farmers market. But after the Stouffville Country Market closed in 2016, there hasn’t been a classic farmers market in town. Lovatt said that is about to change with a new farmers market coming in June. The town suspended its farmers market in 2017 that was located in the parking lot of the old Latcham Art Gallery. Reasons for the cancellation included Main Street reconstruction, a private farmer stand, availability of food producers, and addressing past challenges with the market.

Lovatt is looking forward to rolling out the town’s rebranding of the Town of Stouffville in the new year. After a lengthy public discussion last year, town council decided to keep the town’s official name as the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville while promoting itself as the Town of Stouffville in forward-facing branding. "Being a marketing guy of almost 25 years, you want to have a very clear understanding of what it is that you’re branding," Lovatt said.

There was an overwhelming consensus that a rebranding exercise was necessary in 2019, Lovatt said, and the first step in the rebranding exercise was figuring what to do with the town name. Next steps include a new app and logo.

Edward Street future

Council will make a decision on the future of the road at the centre of town. Currently a dead-end road, it is expected that future plans will connect the road from Main Street to Millard Street through the old high school property. An environmental assessment conducted by the town was looking at connecting the roads as the preferred solution, providing greater mobility.