At the intersection of Yonge and Steeles where Toronto, Markham, and Vaughan meet, lies 7028 Yonge in Vaughan, currently the site of a low-rise retail lot. In late 2018 the property became the subject of a Gupta Group proposal, calling for the construction of three IBI Group–designed residential towers. 

Phase 1 + 2 of 7028 Yonge Street looking north, image courtesy of Gupta Group

Originally proposed as a pair of 52-storey towers with a centrepiece 65 storey building, the heights have been reconfigured in the latest submission, with the 65-storey tower remaining directly at the corner of Yonge and Steeles, stepping down to 56 and 50-storey volumes behind. With this change comes a corresponding unit increase, adding 12 residences to increase the count to 1,902. 

Hotel space, planned to be located within a portion of the development's seven-storey U-shaped podium, has been increased by roughly 1,400 m², translating to an estimated 228 suite count. 1,546 m² of retail is proposed at ground level, located in three separate units.

Street level pedestrian mews between the 65 and 56-storey towers, image courtesy of Gupta Group

The developer was met with some criticism from Vaughan City Planning, who felt that the density here shifted the focus away from the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre area, planned to be the central urban hub of Vaughan. As a counter argument, the application mentions the Provincial Government's commitment of $5.6 Billion for the Yonge North Subway Extension, which would include a station at Steeles, noting the infrastructure expansion project warrants this kind of density. The developer has sectioned off a portion of the ground floorplate accordingly, to accommodate an entrance to the future subway station within the building. There is no start date for the Yonge North extension yet, and the City of Toronto opposes the extension of the Yonge line until work is underway on the Ontario Line, which is meant to decrease demand on the already above-capacity existing Yonge line.

Phase 1 of 7028 Yonge Street looking north, image courtesy of Gupta Group

Also introduced in the revised Gupta plan is a phased approach to the development. All three towers were originally proposed to be constructed at the same time. Now, only the 65 and 56-storey buildings are proposed go ahead initially, with the 50-storey building to be constructed at a later date. The third tower, originally designed so that the trio of towers would all retain the same design language, has been reconfigured in the latest renderings, offering a different architectural expression. Phase two is intended to be completed at a time that syncs up with the completion of the Yonge Subway Extension, to reduce the requirement for underground parking.

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insider here.