Downtown Markham, Ontario
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Downtown Markham is the main downtown of Markham, Ontario, Canada. Currently under development, it is located within Markham Centre near the historic Unionville district and is proposed to serve as the heart of Markham. Businesses in the district are expected to employ up to 16,000 individuals,[4][5] and it may house as many as 10,000 residents.[6] The development plans will have a high density of residential, retail, commercial and mixed-use structures. The community is being developed, built and wholly financed by The Remington Group Inc.
Description
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Downtown Markham is a planned urban hub and the largest planned mixed-use development in Canada. The development spans 243 acres and is situated in one of the fastest growing regions in the province. It will be the commercial and financial district at the center of the city of Markham, and will consist of a mix of residential, office and retail uses.
Two million square feet of retail space will include international retailers, local shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Downtown Markham will also offer more than 3.4 million square feet of office space in a commercial district adjacent to Highway 407.
The vibrant urban centre is being designed and developed following sustainable guidelines, including energy efficient power sources and
Downtown Markham refers to an area south of
On the other hand, Markham Centre or Unionville refers to a broader area. Markham Centre is bounded north to Apple Creek Boulevard /
History
The current City of Markham was created in 1971 when the original town was expanded by amalgamation with the surrounding namesake Markham
The area south of Highway 7 and east of Warden Avenue was frozen for development by the province during the planning and construction of express toll road Highway 407. In 1992, a plan was approved to develop the area with higher commercial density.
The Town of Markham has approved the plan, according to Markham's former mayor,
Aviva Canada built its second Canadian headquarters on Birchmount Road and a new Cineplex theatre opened on April 4, 2015. It provides a bigger space to include a few VIP theatres, a new gaming corner and much higher capacity than the old Cineplex theatre at First Markham Place.
The Marriott hotel and the York condo was constructed on the corner of Enterprise Drive and Birchmount Road. It was finished by the end of 2018.
Development
Downtown Markham is using a development strategy named smart growth. The community will try to limit urban sprawl by creating a denser urban centre. The urban centre is planned to be a transit-oriented community, with everything close by and fully transit dependent.[5] In addition, the community was also planned to be environmentally sustainable as well.
The community was planned by the City of Markham, in cooperation with The Remington Group. The Remington Group is mainly in charge of constructing most of the structures across this new community.
According to the plan approved by the city council, the community will contain residential condos and townhouses, commercial, and retail buildings.[4] Some of these structures have already begun construction. Updates as to what is built is underway.
Downtown Markham has been nominated as the country's largest mixed-used development, as well as North America's largest LEED (leadership-in-energy-and-environmental-design) registered development.[7]
Transportation
The primary modes of transportation in Downtown Markham are:
Arterial Roads
The downtown area is bounded with three
Toll Highway
Highway 407 serves the area with exits on Warden Avenue and Kennedy Road.
Bus Rapid Transit
The community is served by the
Viva Purple connects the locale to
Other bus routes that serve the area include:
- TTC 68 Warden
- YRT 8 Kennedy
- YRT 1 Highway 7
GO Transit
GO Transit operates Unionville GO Station on the Stouffville line during peak commuter traffic. The GO train line connects the Downtown Markham to Stouffville and Downtown Toronto.
Environmental sustainability
The community reserves 72 acres (290,000 m2) as a natural reserve, which includes an ecologically sensitive area, Rouge River.
Facilities
There are two recreational facilities in Downtown Markham:
- Markham Pan Am Centre was built for 2015 Pan American Games and became a city-owned facility after completion of the games in September 2015
- Markham YMCA Rudy Bratty Centre was completed in 2006 and upgraded in 2008; featuring two pools and other fitness facilities for YMCA members
Education
The York University Markham Campus is currently being built next to the Markham Pan Am Centre.
References
- ^ "Statistics Canada 2011 Census Tract Profile for CT 5350401.18". 2011. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
- ^ a b "Downtown Markham:About". 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ This census track includes some area that are not considered as part of Downtown Markham, though this "extra" area is largely uninhabited and are mostly of industrial lands.
- ^ a b c Guelph Civic League. "Downtown Markham Makeover". Archived from the original on August 16, 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ a b c The Toronto Star (2007-08-11). "Digging for an elusive dream". The Star. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ Remington Group, and the Town of Markham (March 2006). "Downtown Markham Facts at a glance" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-05. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ 100 Thousand Club. "New York. Paris. London. Toronto?" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
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