Markham : Development News

Extending the reach of a neighbourhood has long been an urban technique for paying tribute to a popular neighbourhood, and trying to make a little money off properties that are almost-but-not-quite there. In Toronto, we’ve got spots like the Upper Beach and West Annex.

Now Markham’s picking up the ball with its Upper Unionville development by TACC developments.

Built on the old Beckett Farm at Kennedy and 16th Avenue (which sold for $100 million), Upper Unionville is the 1,600-unit result of a consortium of four builders: Arista Homes, Fieldgate Homes, Paradise Homes and Starlane Home Corporation.

The homes, a combination of townhouses, semi-detached and detached houses, started to go up in September. Paradise just closed on between 30 and 35 of them between late March and early this month.

"We’ve all designed our own houses," says Daniel Salerno, director of sales and marketing for Paradise, "but we all have the exact same lot types, which fell under the same architectural control."

The control architect -- the one responsible for lending the new development the feel of a cohesive neighbourhood -- was Williams and Stewart.

Salerno figures most of the houses will be occupied by 2015. There is also what Salerno calls a live-work area, an area along the south end of the site that will be a combination of homes and businesses, which should be finished by 2016.

Prices range from about half a million to just under a million. Upper Unionville is about a 20-mintue walk to Main Street, Unionville.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Daniel Salerno

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

We have a builder for the Pan Am Games.

Infrastructure Ontario announced Monday that Bondfield Construction has been awarded the contract to build and finance the three major venues for the 2015 Pan Am Parapan American Games.

The contract, valued at $80.5 million, covers the Markham Pan Am Centre, the two-field Pan American Field Hockey Centre on U of T's downtown campus, as well as renovations to the Etobicoke Olympium.

The original request for qualifications went out in October, 2011, with the request for proposals being issued this past March.

According to Jennifer Asals, a spokeswoman for Infrastructure Ontario, which managed the bidding process along with TO2015, the cities of Toronto and Markham and the University of Toronto, "the next step is that construction will begin on the Markham Pan Am Centre in the coming weeks, and the Pan Am field hockey and Etobicoke Olympium will start in 2013."

Bondfield has also recently begun work on the new Women's College Hospital.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Jennifer Asals

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

The Shops on Steeles will move head, thanks to a decision from the Ontario Municipal Board.

The project, which planner, architect and Kirkor principal Clifford Korman calls "urban intensification at its best," will sit on the border between Toronto and Markham. It was largely supported by Markham council and opposed by the city of Toronto.

The mixed-use plan, which originally called for 1,787 residential units, has been scaled back to 1,235. It is a redesign of the current Shops on Steeles, at the corner of Don Mills and Steeles, and will resemble the layout and effect of the Shops at Don Mills.

According to Korman, there will be both interior and exterior shopping, with all medical and dental services remaining indoors in a mall portion of the project.

The project will begin soon, and will take between 10 and 12 years to complete.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Clifford Korman

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

Markham is getting a new master-planned community with some genuine urban touches.

On April 11, the Times Group Corporation unveiled the plans for the 88-acre residential development they're calling Uptown Markham.

"Uptown Markham will significantly contribute to the continued growth of Markham as a leading economic and high-tech community," Markham's mayor, Frank Scarpitti, said in a press release for the occasion. "It is a well-planned and sustainable community that is a significant part of our vision for Markham Centre."

The intention, according to the developer, is for none of the residences to be farther than 200 metres from public transit.

The development is between Birchmount and Warden along Highway 7, and will ultimately consist of about 4,500 condo units and more than half a million square feet of commercial space.

The first phase of the development, dubbed River Park, will comprise three towers, two high-rise and one mid-rise, ranging in sale price from $240,000 to $600,000, as well as the first commercial space, called Uptown Square, with space for 15 retailers. The plan is for the plaza to be ready in time to receive the first occupants of the towers.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Mark Wessel

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

With the help of a $500,000 Trillium grant, announced last week, the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre is building a 10,000 square foot addition.

The new building, built on a vacant lot to the east of the current 33,000 square foot building, built in 1994, will cost a total of $3 million. The balance of the money will be coming from fundraising and bank financing.

According to Mike Mehta, a lifetime trustee with the Markham centre, which caters to Toronto's Hindu community, "space was very limited" in the old facility, and the new space will allow for five classrooms, a library, and a centre for youth and seniors.

Work will start in mid July, and be finished by March, 2012.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Mike Mehta

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

The urbanization of Markham continues with the imminent development of an 88-acre site near Unionville.

Though the towers will be high and tightly packed, totaling about 5,000 units, the $2.5-billion plan, developed with Kirkor, includes 50 acres of greenspace.

The site is currently undeveloped greenfield.

The first phase, two towers with 560 condos between them, is scheduled to begin construction later this year, with an end of 2013 or beginning of 2014 completion.

Elmar Busch, marketing director for the developer, Times Group Corp., says the project, named Uptown Markham, is "probably one of the three or five largest new developments in North America."

Despite its suburban location, greenfield construction and Markham's transit shortcomings, Uptown Markham is gunning for LEED Gold certification.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Elmar Busch

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

The urbanization of Markham continues with the launch of Sierra, a 143-unit, staggered 6-storey condo on Main Street in Markham Village.

Developed by the Sierra Group and designed by John Beresford of the Woodbridge firm of Flanagan Beresford and Patteson. The complex will significantly raise the density of the old neighbourhood.

"Condominiums epitomize to a certain extent urban living," says Sierra president Morris Kansun, "the idea of living in a higher density area where you walk downstairs and all the amenities are there without having to get into your car. Condominium living is downtown living, but so many condos today are built in Greenfield sites where you still have to get in your car."

The condo, known as 68 Main, will be built on the site of a 1960s strip mall, across the street from a community centre and in the middle of a 19th-century main street that's still an active retail strip.

Kansun expects to break ground this summer, and for his building to be ready to occupy by late 2012.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Morris Kansun

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

Toronto-based Quadrangle Architects have won a design award for urbanization work they've done in Markham.

The firm got the Urban Intensification Award for the four-building Rouge Bijou development, downtown Markham's first condo project.

The project gets its name in part from its proximity to the Rouge River at the western edge of Markham's city centre.

"The ambition is to establish a context for the next buildings and support the vision of Downtown Markham as a compact, sustainable, walkable and transit-oriented community," said Quadrangle principal Sheldon Levitt in a press release.

Rouge Bijou, whose buildings range in height from seven to 10 storeys and which house a total of 450 living spaces, is part of a larger, nine-building collection of buildings that also includes Verdale, Nexus North and Nexus South.

Rouge Bijou is also built to LEED Silver standards, and includes in-suite energy recovery ventilators, super-lobby green roofs and will collect rain for grey water use.

The award was presented on November 8.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Sheldon Levitt

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

Tridel has finished everything but the interiors of its latest development, Circa 2, which is also its first foray into Markham.

The 396-unit condo tower is the second phase of a two-phase project that also includes a tower finished in 2006, and several houses, which Tridel is calling carriage homes, which are also complete.

"Circa's a more family-oriented building," says Tridel spokesman Samson Fung. "Suite sizes are a little bit larger, with two-bedrooms and two-bedrooms plus den making up the majority of the suites," he says, adding that, appropriately for the location, Tridel is taking "a more suburban approach to condos" with Circa. The smallest unit will be about 1,000 square feet.

Turner Fleischer are the architects for the building, which should be ready for its residents by May.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Samson Fung