Milliken Centre (Steeles & Old Kennedy, Markham, MadyCorp, 7s, Kirkor)

[Hydrogen]

I think both of them should be torn down.

 

[jackiechandc]

Wow, I never thought I see the day the autoshop and Milley's gone on Steeles.

No one has really gone to Milley's everysince the Timmy Ho's opened up a few years back. The Shell gas station is convenient for me as I'm only right around the corner. Gonna have to go towards McCowan now to fill up as I collect Air Miles with Shell.
Wonder what's going to happen to those businesses now? They gonna move or just shut down?

 

[Solaris]

Wow, I never thought I see the day the autoshop and Milley's gone on Steeles. This area's redevelopment will be a welcome change from the development on the T.O side.

I noticed on the Milliken Centre website there are renderings of townhomes, does anyone know where they are to be located exactly?

townhouses (maybe sold out) will be located to the north of the L-shaped building, acting as transition buffer to the existing detach dwellings to the north

 

[T-Squared]

townhouses (maybe sold out) will be located to the north of the L-shaped building, acting as transition buffer to the existing detach dwellings to the north

Thanks Solaris, when I said 'anyone' I was really referring to you as I gather you know the history of this area (or many other areas I gather from this forum).

Regarding pedestrian activity, there are already a fair amount of people walking along Steeles to either get to the shops on the T.O side and Market Village/Pacific Mall, despite the lack of pedestrian friendly amenities. From word of mouth, I hear the Milliken Centre development (and the Old Kennedy Village townhomes on Old Kennedy Road, which incidently, does have residential fronting on the street, which was not the OPA called for) have a few seniors/retirees without cars buying into it. Here's hoping the area will get more pedestrian friendly to a Scarborough/Markham level.

 

[Solaris]

Rendering

Here's another rendering of this Millken Centre project ... not much better, but at least it appears to be more slightly more appealing from the north-east (I know I'm being too generous here, but I comparing with the south-west view shown previously)

 

[wyliepoon]

^Solaris: I'm wondering if that new rendering is of the same building or Phase 2 of the development, which I think they're selling right now. I think Phase 2 will be on the west side of the Midland extension...

BTW... the industrial building on the west side of the site has recently been converted into a Chinese flea market. I suspect it might be operated by the developer of Milliken Centre.

 

[jks]

wow, they're retaining the old schoolhouse facade. I wonder it it'll still say Milliken Public School, or are they reconstructing that. Shouldn't the main entrance be through the schoolhouse. Also, reatail waould help the are immensely.

 

[egotrippin]

It'd be nice (and make more sense) if they clad the podium/base with red brick, to match the schoolhouse. Not only would it make the schoolhouse appear more integrated, it'd be far better at street level than all that precast.

 

[Solaris]

wylie ... I'm pretty sure this 'new' rendering is of the same phase 1 building, but instead showing the back side facing towards the interior parking area .... even though there's a 'phase 2 now selling' sign on the sales trailer, apparently the builder just made a 'second release' within the same building

the 'real' phase 2 as you noted, will be on the west side of Midland Ave extension (where the flea market is), and is supposed to be some sort of new retail commercial development

jks ... I believe through the development review process, this development was required to by Markham Heritage staff to maintain the facade of the old school house only on the south elevation, but everything else would be demolished ... and you are correct in that the school house serves as one of two entrances leading into the residential condo (with the other on the north side of the building facing towards residents dropoff + visitor parking area), the 2 entrances are connected by a linear lobby ... shown here:

Indeed, there is retail provided in portions along the Steeles Ave frontage ... see ground floor plan below ~

 

[jks]

Ok, yeah that makes sense. Good thing there's retail. I do think the podium-ish first floor should be in red brick to match. Some of these integrations of facades all over the city dont really make sense.

 

[T-Squared]

wow, they're retaining the old schoolhouse facade. I wonder it it'll still say Milliken Public School, or are they reconstructing that. Shouldn't the main entrance be through the schoolhouse. Also, reatail waould help the are immensely.

Is that what the school was called? Wow, there's also a "Milliken Public School" built in the 1980's in the Steeles/Brimley/McNicol/Midland subdivision block. I went to the newer school back when I was a kid and it would be kewl if I went to the name of a school with a long(er) history.

 

[adma]

Well, the name Milliken has a longer history--long before suburbanization, it was the name of the hamlet straddling the tracks at the Kennedy/Steeles jog. (You just happened to go to the school which inherited the name.)

 

[T-Squared]

^ Yup, thanks. As a former student there (although not one with straight As..or 'Excellents' in report cards back in the day), the origins of 'Milliken' was taught to us. I didn't know the old school here was the original 'Milliken Public School'.

 

[wyliepoon]

I do think the podium-ish first floor should be in red brick to match.

The school house is actually clad in brown brick...

re: Milliken

Milliken is such a wide-spread name in northern Scarborough and southern Markham. You can find the name "Milliken" in the area bounded by Finch to the south (Milliken Blvd, Milliken Plaza at Kennedy/Finch), 14th Avenue to the north (Milliken Mills High School on Kennedy), Middlefield to the east (Milliken Park and T&T's Milliken Store) and Warden to the west (Milliken Chinese Community Church at Bamburgh Circle, which yours truly goes to).

 

[jks]

The school house is actually clad in brown brick...

You know what i mean.