'Whole new look': Holland Landing downtown revitalization set to change the face of Yonge Street

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 18, 2021

Downtown Holland Landing is not exactly a destination. Yonge Street is always busy with traffic but it doesn’t give off the vibe of a thriving main street. East Gwillimbury is hoping to change that with its Yonge Street revitalization project. The project focuses on streetscape and infrastructure improvements from Mount Albert Road to Doane Road.

The project is music to the ears of Tasneem Khambata, owner of Artisan Baths on Yonge Street. “It’s really amazing. Holland Landing was due for a revitalization quite a while ago,” she said. “Hopefully it gives main street a nicer vibe.”

While Khambata’s business had been located on Main Street in Newmarket, the pandemic made the rent unaffordable. She moved to Holland Landing where her family runs the Essential Healing Touch wellness centre on Yonge Street.

She said there are a lot of properties on Yonge Street in Holland Landing that need a bit of a facelift and perhaps the revitalization can change the ambience slightly. “It will finally be something to give a whole new look,” she said.

More green spaces and trees along the road will do a lot to change the atmosphere. The town is planning a multi-use trail that will run along Yonge Street from Mount Albert Road to Doane Road and be part of the Lake to Lake trail. Even things such as benches along the road will encourage more pedestrian traffic, she said. “It’s a long walk from the Nokiidaa Trail to Doane Road. This is a great way for more community to come out and engage near the trail and near the park.”

In the future, Khambata would like to see more of a commercial core return to the street. She said it seems like people just go to Newmarket and Bradford to shop.

It wasn’t always like that, Ward 1 Coun. Terry Foster said. The lifelong Holland Landing residents remembers when Yonge Street had more businesses. “Some of the little businesses that were on main street certainly are not there anymore,” he said.

Two gas stations, a hair dressing place and a used bicycle shop are all things the road used to have. “There is not really that much anymore,” he said. That doesn’t mean Foster doesn’t hold out hope for downtown Holland Landing. He thinks the revitalization project will bring some businesses back to the core.

One prominent eyesore on the street is the old gas station that has been closed for around a decade. Foster said the town’s hands are tied to some degree on the matter because it is privately owned.

Ward 1 Coun. Loralea Carruthers said she was surprised at how well attended the public information centre from the town was earlier this month showing preliminary proposals for the project. She is most excited about the prospect of the multi-use trail on one side of Yonge Street that will be part of the Lake to Lake trail. Other features that she is looking forward to are all the new tree plantings that will brighten up the road.

“It’s going to be two or three years,” she said. “There is a real feeling that we want to do it right. We want to get this done thoroughly rather than just trying to rush anything.”

Just how much gets done will depend on funding, as Carruthers said the town is hoping to make use of several grants for the various projects. She said residents don't need to worry about the road be torn up for a long period of time.

Foster said he wouldn’t be surprised if some simple things get done next year with more coming in the following years.

The town expects a tender award and detail design for the project to be completed in 2022 with construction expected in 2023.