Downtown Markham, Ontario

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Downtown Markham
Downtown
The skyline of Downtown Markham, as of May 2015
Motto(s):  the PLACE TO BE
Location within York
Coordinates: 43°51′N 79°19′W / 43.85°N 79.32°W / 43.85; -79.32Coordinates: 43°51′N 79°19′W / 43.85°N 79.32°W / 43.85; -79.32
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Regional Municipality	York
City	Markham
District	Markham Centre
Established	1992[2]
Area [2]
• Total	0.98 km2 (0.38 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	3,452[1]
	Based on data for census tract 5350401.18[3]
Postal code	L6G
Website	Downtown Markham

Downtown Markham is the central business district of Markham, Ontario, Canada currently being developed. It is located within Markham Centre and Unionville and is proposed to serve as the heart of Markham. Businesses in the district are expected to employ as many as 16,000 individuals,^[4][5] and it may house as many as 10,000 residents.^[6] The development will have a high density of residential, retail, commercial and mixed-use structures. The community is being developed, built and wholly financed by The .

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 & financial district within Unionville 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 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residential and commercial projects. Aside from allowing greater density, the development also enjoys 72 acres of natural and landscaped green space, improved walkability and easy access to public transit, including Viva Rapid Transit and GO Transit.

Downtown Markham refers to an area south of / Highway 7, west of Kennedy Road / Main Street Unionville, east of Warden Avenue, and north of Highway 407 ETR.

On the other hand, Markham Centre or Unionville refers to a broader area. Markham Centre is bounded north to Apple Creek Boulevard / , east to Kennedy Road, west to Rodick Road, and south to 14th Avenue.

History[]

Townhouses in Downtown Markham

The Cineplex new theatre just built.

Downtown Markham construction site in 2020.

The current City of Markham was created in 1971 when the former town was expanded by amalgamation with the surrounding namesake Markham Township which also contained the independent communities of Thornhill and Unionville. With its original historic downtown, Markham Village, being small and situated to the far eastern part of the amalgamated municipality, the city decided a larger, more centrally-located downtown was needed.

The area south of Unionville to the 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, Donald Cousens.^[4] The community situated in Unionville was planned to be self-sustained and transit-oriented based on smart growth development. Construction began in 2005, when Enterprise Drive was completed.

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 located in the City of Markham's Unionville Village 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 co-operation 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 in Unionville 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[]

Warden Vivastation

The primary modes of transportation in Downtown Markham are: Regional Roads, municipal roads, a toll highway, bus rapid transit, and GO Trains.^[5]

York Regional Roads[]

The community is bounded with three York Regional Roads, which are numbered as 3 (Kennedy Road), 7 (Highway 7), and 65 (Warden Avenue).

Toll Highway[]

Highway 407 serves the community with exits on Warden Avenue and Kennedy Road. The highway leads east to Pickering for the ETR section and Clarington for the 407 East section and west to Burlington.

Bus Rapid Transit[]

The community is served by the Warden, Enterprise and Unionville stops on the VIVA bus rapid transit system. Warden and Enterprise are served by three lines: Viva Purple, Viva Green, and Viva Pink, while Unionville Station is only served by Viva Pink. As of 2011, Viva Purple is the only line with all-day service, the other lines operate only during rush hour. It is scheduled that when Downtown Markham is fully functional and occupied, Viva Green will return to full service. The community is anticipated to be highly dependent on these transit routes, as part of the planned smart growth.

Viva Purple connects the locale to Cornell and York University; Viva Green connects the locale to Don Mills Station and Cornell; Viva Pink connects the locale to North York City Centre.

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[]

Rouge River at Birchmount Road (with condo buildings at Downtown Markham in the background)

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
• 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[]

External links[]

• The Markham Centre Story