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Back to bring you the latest instalment of the UTPro Instant Report, our ongoing investigation of development trends across the GTA takes us north this week, to the south end of Richmond Hill. Using a custom location report, we have zeroed in on the area just north of Langstaff GO Station to take a closer look at what kind of activity is taking place.
This custom area, framed around the starting point of 8780 Yonge Street, represents the southern edge of Richmond Hill. Situated just north of Highway 407, this particular pocket of the municipality benefits both from proximity to the development-friendly Yonge Street as well as Langstaff Station, and is beginning to see an uptick in proposals — some more ambitious than you might expect — in anticipation of the impending Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE).
Starting with the map, our Custom Report identified a total of 11 projects located within an 800 metre radius of 8780 Yonge Street. Completed projects and projects actively under construction each accounted for 3 of that total, while the remaining 5 projects were listed as being in the pre-construciton stage.
In terms of what development in this part of Richmond Hill looks like at the moment, the most current completion is the 18-storey Westwood Gardens project. Rising above Yonge Street, the development is an example of a scale that has been widely approved in these parts of the City, delivering a manageable level of density in a contemporary massing featuring both brick and metal cladding.
Wrapping up construction currently, one of the larger projects in the area is ERA at Yonge Condos. Located on the north side of High Tech Road, which borders the GO Station to the south, the project is introducing residential towers of 25 and 31 storeys, offering a total of 575 new condo units. The project is virtually complete on the exterior and construction work moves indoors to prepare the towers for occupancy.
Meanwhile, one project in the pre-construction group stands out for both its scope as well as the massive height that is proposed, contemplating Downtown Core levels of density. Dubbed High Tech Transit Oriented Community, for now, the project is looking to leverage its proximity to the planned YNSE’s High Tech Station to gain approval for a community made up of more than 30 towers, ranging in height from 40 to 80 storeys. While the planning is preliminary, and no real architecture has been designed yet, with this area designated a Major Transit Station Area, this spike in density is just what the Province is looking for to respond to the demand for new housing as our population grows.
Another similar project in a preliminary stage is just to the south, located near the ext planned subway extension station to the south. Both plans demonstrate that large master plans are gaining traction as a way to dramatically intensify large suburban areas with transit potential.
Our Instant Report offers many stats, including the breakdown of Gross Floor Area (GFA), to build wider insights on the area as a whole. With 84.9% of the total floorspace programmed for residential uses, the remaining 15.1% is intended to be commercial space, but only one project will offer office uses. With mostly retail occupying the commercial space, the area is demonstrating a residential orientation.
Based on the findings of our report, we can see that this particular portion of Richmond Hill can expect a wave of new residents to be filing in steadily over the coming years. With Langstaff GO station accessible to the immediate south, the YNSE will bring even more depth to the existing transit services enabling people to work throughout the area, creating viable new housing options for people in need of places to live that are still well connected to the City.
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As UrbanToronto continues to refine its role in the GTA development industry, our data services have evolved to become one of our defining elements and we want to share those capabilities with our community. The UrbanToronto Pro Instant Reports is just one of the ways our data can be applied to provide quick and convenient insights on the development trends of any area in the GTA, with filters for Wards MLS Zones, and Custom Areas.
