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Development activity has been picking up steam in the eastern Greater Toronto Area, with high-rise communities proposed along Highway 401 in Pickering. The latest to take shape is the Pickering Design Centre, a masterplanned, mixed-use community positioned adjacent to the Brock Road interchange on Highway 401. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Bayfield Realty Advisors, this ambitious multi-phased project includes residential, commercial, and public spaces across seven blocks. The initial application focuses on Block 1, featuring dual 31-storey towers.
Addressed to 1755 Pickering Parkway, the site is currently occupied by The Shops at Pickering Ridge, a single-storey, big-box commercial plaza hosting a variety of retail establishments, including a Staples and Goodlife Fitness, among others. Encompassing an area of 94,841m², the development plan aims to preserve the existing retail function through a tenant relocation strategy that would accommodate current businesses either within the newly constructed blocks or elsewhere on the site as each phase progresses.
In June, 2022, Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment applications were submitted to facilitate the development of Phase 1. However, after review and consultations with the City of Pickering planning staff, a hold was placed in January, 2023 to allow the applicant team to expand this to cover the entire site.
Plans call for a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 341,185m² for residential use and 26,693m² for non-residential use, including a mixed-use office building, with an overall Floor Space Index (FSI) at approximately 3.41. Upon full build-out, the Pickering Design Centre development's seven blocks would host buildings from 20 to 43 storeys tall, with podiums ranging from three to seven storeys, providing 5,249 dwelling units, plus a public park in the centre of the site.
The rollout is scheduled across three main phases. Phase 1 is planned for completion in 2026, focusing on Block 1. Subsequent phases would see the construction of Blocks 2 through 4 by 2031 and the final build-out of Blocks 5 through 7 by 2036.
Block 1 is positioned on the westernmost portion of the site alongside Brock Road, covering an area of 11,814m². It would feature an "L" shaped shared seven-storey podium with dual 31-storey towers (103.92m). These towers would house a total of 678 residential units.
The Gross Floor Area (GFA) for this block would total approximately 55,945m², with 52,738m² for residential use and 1,669m² designated for retail. Amenities would be found on the sixth and seventh floors, with 1,538m² indoors and 1,052m² outdoors. A four-level underground garage would provide 58 retail, 97 visitor, and 547 resident parking spaces. For cyclists, there would be 10 retail and 315 resident bike parking spots. With three elevators per tower, there would be one elevator for every 113 units, indicating longer than preferable wait times.
The site is about equidistant from Pickering and Ajax GO stations, approximately 2km away from each. These transit hubs can be reached within a 5-to-7-minute drive, or a 30-minute public transit ride. The site is served by Durham Region Transit, with multiple routes, including direct service to the site along Pickering Parkway.
To the north, SmartCentres Pickering proposes a major redevelopment over 48 acres, with Block 1 calling for towers of 33 and 34 storeys. North of Kingston Road, developments include The Highmark at 12 and 16 storeys, 2055 Brock Road scaling up to 20 storeys, and 1970 Brock Road reaching 30 storeys. To the east, near Ajax GO station, 275 Western Road South would introduce three buildings between 27 and 29 storeys, and 190 Westney Road South plans dual 60-storey towers. To the west, closer to Pickering GO station, 1515 Pickering Parkway proposes 40 storeys. The master-planned community of Universal City Pickering is already under construction, with five buildings ranging from 17 to 37 storeys. Pickering City Centre calls for a redevelopment of the shopping mall, planning eight buildings that include nine towers ranging from 42 to 55 storeys, four of which are part of Block 1, spanning 40 to 55 storeys.
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.
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| Related Companies: | Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, HGC Engineering Inc, STUDIO tla, Turner Fleischer Architects |
