Towers Proposed on Jane North of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

Urbantoronto.ca
Sept. 11, 2023

In the rapidly growing landscape of Vaughan, a significant development proposal has emerged at 8083 Jane Street. Situated north of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) -- the nascent downtown core of the City north of Toronto -- the site is located approximately 600 metres north of the University Line 1 terminal station at VMC, placing it within a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designation. From MPAR Developments, the proposal includes residential units, senior lifestyle housing, a hotel, and more.

Situated within an industrial area with Employment Lands zoning on it, the developer has applied to change the zoning through the Community Infrastructure & Housing Accelerator (CIHA), a mechanism designed to expedite planning approvals outside the Greenbelt Area. Unlike a Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) which bypasses local decision-making, CIHA emphasizes community engagement. A municipality is required to consult with the public before formally requesting the Minister's intervention.

Currently, the site at the southeast corner of Jane Street and MacIntosh Boulevard is home to Bellvue Manor, a venue for weddings and special events. Occupying a total area of 17,672m², the property is located about a 15-minute walk north of VMC. The developer aims to repurpose the site for approximately 1,700 housing units and an estimated 1,100 jobs, and believes that the proposal aligns with the vision for the area as an MTSA.

MPAR Developments' application, designed by SvN, seeks to transition the property into a mixed-use hub, with a pair of towers rising to 50 and 60 storeys, or 168m and 200m, fronting Jane Street. The towers are set to accommodate up to 945 units of market housing and an additional 150 units designated for attainable housing. The proposal also includes an 8-storey (32.5m) building dedicated to hotel use east of the larger towers, and a 12-storey (48m) senior lifestyle housing site at the southeast corner.

The proposal includes 5,142m² of commercial office space, targeting cutting-edge technology, research, and incubator firms. Additionally, there are plans for 1,835m² of retail space, a 6,081m² convention centre, and a substantial 20,083m² dedicated to hotel accommodations in the 8- and 50-storey buildings. The development's senior lifestyle housing would comprise up to 174 units, alongside 16 units of attainable housing and 1,589m² of community space.

Plans include a POPS (Privately Owned Publicly-accessible Space) measuring approximately 4,501m² and a dedicated public park of 1,769m². Residents and visitors would have access to comprehensive amenities, with 5,433m² allocated for the two tallest towers (including 2,541m² indoors) and an additional 817.3m² for the senior lifestyle housing.

Parking is planned across four garage levels, accommodating 1,492 vehicles. For the cycling community, there is a provision for 1,034 long-term bicycle parking spots and 281 short-term spots. There would be four elevators each in the two tallest towers, three for the senior lifestyle housing, and two for the hotel. This distribution results in an average of about 137 units per elevator in the taller towers.

While the site itself is within an industrial area, to the south -- particularly around the VMC -- the area is brimming with development activity. Notably, there are 18 developments in the vicinity, some of which include 201 Millway Avenue along the north edge of the VMC, which is gearing up for a 45-storey tower, while further south, 175 Millway Avenue has plans for a 64-storey building. Across Highway to the south of the VMC, a towering proposal for 3131 Highway 7 envisions over a dozen new buildings.

MPAR Developments is actively seeking a re-designation of the site from employment lands to a mixed-use development through the CIHA. Enabled through section 34.1 of the Planning Act, the CIHA tool empowers the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to approve expedited planning approvals.

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.