More than 63K residents moving into Vaughan’s emerging downtown core by 2031

Mayor Bevilacqua says the VMC has attracted more than $9B in economic activity since 2015

Yorkregion.com
March 8, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Up to 63,350 residents in almost 32,000 residential units are expected to move into Vaughan’s emerging downtown core by 2031.

This according to the city on Wednesday, March 3, a day after it held the first subcommittee meeting for what’s known as the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC).

The city said the figures will “achieve 270 per cent of the residential units and 256 per cent of the population targets identified for the 2031 planning horizon.”

VMC is considered to be the “largest and most ambitious development project” for the city.

During the meeting, Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said the VMC -- from 2015 to 2020 -- has attracted more than $9 billion in economic activity.

VMC is bounded by Highway 407 to the south, Highway 400 to the west, Portage Parkway to the north and Creditstone and Maplecrete roads to the east.

The city is updating VMC’s Phase 1 plan, which deals with new roads, transportation routes, parks and more. The city also said that the “plan will consider a boundary expansion to potentially include additional lands in the area, and review the current height and density permissions and land-use plan.”

The second phase for VMC is going to be deal with cultural and art programs.

City manager Jim Harnum said the updates will “improve connectivity between major areas, including transit stations, schools, and commercial and residential areas, in addition to other community features such as connections to pathways and open spaces.”

“These projects include a VMC secondary plan update, a transportation master plan, a parks and way-finding master plan, two road environmental assessment studies to incorporate cycling and pedestrian plans and policies, and more,” he added.

Public input is encourage. Citizens can visit vaughan.ca/VMCPlan to participate in an online self-guided public open house available until Thursday, March 25.