Developing Mulock Farm, housing, skatepark, Main Street among Newmarket's 2020 goals

Mayor John Taylor sets out top priorities for the new year

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 2, 2020
Lisa Queen

Newmarket heads into the new year ready to tackle several objectives, Mayor John Taylor said.

“2020 will be very exciting and very busy year in the town of Newmarket,” he said as he set out priorities for the coming year.

The town is looking to settle on a final design for the 11.6-acre Mulock Farm Park, at the northwest corner of Mulock Drive and Yonge Street.

“This will require a great deal of work and public consultation but I feel strongly that we can and we will have a clear vision forward for the park before the end of 2020,” Taylor said.

The town is looking to create a community park, green space and skating trails.

Meanwhile, construction will start on an outdoor skatepark at the Magna Centre at 800 Mulock Dr.

Just across the road on the north side of Mulock, the newly renovated and renamed NewRoads Performing Arts Centre will open in the former Newmarket Theatre on Pickering Crescent.

The town is entering into a multi-year partnership with The NewRoads Automotive Group, a deal aimed at advancing arts and culture in the community.

Tackling housing needs will be a significant goal in 2020, Taylor said.

“The town’s plan to provide for housing options on our major corridors will advance rapidly and I expect to see several rental and condo projects enter and advance through the planning process. This will result in real housing options in the coming years for young people, seniors and young families,” he said.

“Expect to see a capital campaign committee launched by Inn from the Cold, which I plan to support, so that we can introduce more transitional housing units to help people move from homelessness to housing stability.”

The town’s downtown core will be the centre of change, Taylor said.

“Downtown Main Street will continue to expand and thrive with the (Dec. 19) opening of The George brew pub (in the former King George Hotel at 236 Main St. at Timothy Street) and expect to see the Clock Tower-related buildings coming into use,” he said.

In October, the town launched an investigation into the unauthorized demolition of 184/186 Main St., part of the Main Street Clock Inc. development.

“This is not acceptable,” Taylor said at the time.

“I am very upset, it’s frustrating and infuriating and myself and the town will be taking it very seriously.”

Meanwhile, other parts of the town’s downtown will also be in the spotlight this year, Taylor said.

“Expect to see the portion of Main Street closer to Davis get more attention and renewal from the private sector in 2020 and 2021,” he said.

“In 2020, we will engage the downtown in a plan to close a portion of Main Street to traffic for part of the summer in 2021 and make it a destination to shop, dine and meet your neighbours and friends.”

Two Region of York projects will open in Newmarket in 2020.

The $212 million Annex building at the northwest corner of Yonge and Eagle streets will bring a number of services, including public health clinics, social services, Ontario Works, housing services, provincial offences courts, the York Small Business Enterprise Centre and Access York customer service, under one roof.

Merging those services in one building will save the region $26 million over 30 years by consolidating a variety of satellite locations throughout Newmarket rather than continuing to lease or invest in aging facilities, according to the region’s corporate services commissioner, Dino Basso.

The region’s Viva rapidway bus lanes on Yonge will also open this year, Taylor said.

His other priorities for the town include conducting a review of ward boundaries and introducing rules for short-term rentals such as Airbnb properties.

“Newmarket is a growing and thriving community and I expect to see us moving forward in a way that will continue to make this one of the best places to live in all of Canada,” Taylor added.