Markham UnionCity | 147.7m | 44s | Metropia | Arcadis

canarob

canarob

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This proposal is directly east of the Downtown Markham development and near the Unionville GO station:

http://www.markham.ca/markham/ccbs/indexfile/Agendas/2008/Development%20Services/pl080408/Markham%20Centre%20Dev%20Corp.pdf

Details...

South Block:

Three residential buildings (10, 18 and 39 storeys in height) surrounding a 2-storey retail podium.
616 residential units.
11,200 m2 (120,559 ft2) of retail uses.
1248 parking spaces; all except 6 surface spaces are in a 4-level underground parking garage.
A total gross floor area of 86,804 m2 (934,381 ft2), representing a Floor Space Index of 3.28.
A future 10-storey, 17,200 m2 (185,145 ft2) office building, which will incorporate a York Region Transit Station linking the VIVA/YRT transit service on Enterprise Boulevard to the Unionville Go Train Station.


North Block:

Three connected residential buildings (10, 18 and 25 storeys in height).
611 residential units.
Existing woodlot to be preserved.
678 parking spaces in a 2 level of underground parking garage.
A total gross floor area of 54,240 m2 (583,854 ft2) representing a Floor Space Index of 2.6.


Overall project:

1227 residential units.
11,200 m2 (120,559 ft2) of retail and other commercial uses.
17,200 m2 (185,145 ft2) of office uses.
1926 parking spaces, all except 6 spaces below grade.
Total gross floor area of 141,044 m2 (1,518,235 ft2), representing a Floor Space Index of 3.0.
 
This is a great proposal. Markham really is a regional leader in new-urbanism planning and transit-oriented development. There is a lot of literature out there to support the "if you build it they will come" higher-order transit investments will bring density argument. GO and VIVA are good examples of large public investments in the suburbs that will eventually be rewarded with higher density nodes and corridors. Markham has a great reputation for this kind of planning. I'm glad to see this proposal.

The conceptual drawings are rough and will hopefully change to resemble nice architecture.
 
This is great news considering its proximity to transit service. Markham really seems to be trying hard. I just wish they'd follow a bit more of a Jane Jacobs doctrine. You'll never get a successful, urban community if you let one developer build the whole neighbourhood all at once.
 
Looks poor actually, and looks completely like a cash grab on the part of the developer. What they should be doing is building some nice 3-8 story streetwalls, smaller point towers maybe fitting in with whats been done in York already. Maybe go 25 stories max until there is transit in place instead of 1 viva line along highway 7. Why don't they follow the concepts that were originally presented for Markham Centre? Those were beautiful examples of mid rise neighbourhoods with sporadic point towers mixed in here and there.
 
There is a GO station right there (this is exactly the type of development that will encourage higher frequencies on that line) and yo can add buses at the snap of a finger. What's so wrong with creating a high-density node at a GO station?

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scarberiankhatru said:
People will pooh-pooh anything in the suburbs unless it looks like a Parisian boulevard.
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Agreed!.

They argument that ... this will not create walkable / urban neighborhoods is unjustified. If you were to argue that people will not walk in these new walkable / urban neighborhoods that I can agree on...

There is only so much a city can do, let's not forget the mindset of most of the people living in these areas.

Do I think Downtown Markham will be a success in regards to the agenda they set out to meet in an attempt to create a medium density urban neightbour hood? Hopefully, not sure yet but there’s a chance.

Do I think we’ll see droves of people or more importantly RETAIL that will attract them?
No, maybe in 5/10 years after the entire neighborhood is complete parts will seem okay.
 
Jayomatic said:
Looks poor actually, and looks completely like a cash grab on the part of the developer. What they should be doing is building some nice 3-8 story streetwalls, smaller point towers maybe fitting in with whats been done in York already. Maybe go 25 stories max until there is transit in place instead of 1 viva line along highway 7. Why don't they follow the concepts that were originally presented for Markham Centre? Those were beautiful examples of mid rise neighbourhoods with sporadic point towers mixed in here and there.
Click to expand...

You have your neighbourhoods slightly mixed up, which is understandable. The midrise community you have mentioned is intended only for "Downtown Markham", which is the area west of the GO line and south of 7. Markham Centre, which refers to the general area between the 407, Kennedy, Warden, and Highway 7, has been master planned to a much lesser degree, and was always supposed to have high density towers near the GO station. This proposal, which exists independently of Downtown Markham, is completely in line with the overall vision for Markham Centre.
 
Jayomatic said:
Looks poor actually, and looks completely like a cash grab on the part of the developer. What they should be doing is building some nice 3-8 story streetwalls, smaller point towers maybe fitting in with whats been done in York already. Maybe go 25 stories max until there is transit in place instead of 1 viva line along highway 7. Why don't they follow the concepts that were originally presented for Markham Centre? Those were beautiful examples of mid rise neighbourhoods with sporadic point towers mixed in here and there.
Click to expand...

Since this will be right beside the GO Station, they should build at the highest density possible...
 
Maybe go 25 stories max until there is transit in place instead of 1 viva line along highway 7.
Click to expand...

For some inexplicable reason, the site is already serviced by Viva as the Viva route dips south from Hwy 7 onto Enterprise Drive between Warden and Kennedy.

I appreciate the density that is proposed for this development, but I'm not satisfied by the layout, especially because even though the development is right next to the GO station, it doesn't link to the GO station very well. Nor does the development connect to Downtown Markham. The GO tracks here are just as big a barrier to this development and Downtown Markham as the railway tracks at Union Station are to Downtown Toronto and the waterfront.

If I were proposing this development, I would extend the retail podium right into the GO station parking lot as well as the station area, with another couple of towers on top of the parking lot. All the GO parking spots would be moved to underground parking garages. The development would also bridge over the GO tracks to provide linkage to the west side of the tracks and Downtown Markham.
 
The whole thing is linked by a 2 story podium, most of which is probably a copy of what can be found at Highway 7 and Leslie. I'd much rather see a nice 5 story streetwall with some retail and office use with a few 20-25 story towers set back. I understand that density around the GO station is needed but throwing a 39 story building in an area where the tallest building seems to be maybe 15 stories max is a tad much. There are many examples of great density in this city that Markham first envisioned for its new town centre and it certainly didn't show 40 story towers everywhere.
 
Markham's town centre is west of Warden, though, where all kinds of moderately tall buildings either exist or are being built.
 
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