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Markham's Unionville is an area rich with history in the Greater Toronto Area. As one of the region's oldest villages, established by settlers in 1794, Unionville's charming historic centre is a draw for residents and tourists alike. A kilometre to the south of the allure provided by the village's heritage buildings, the future is being embraced at UnionCity South.
The project acts as the next phase of the UnionCity development north of Enterprise Boulevard, on the east side of the Metrolinx-GO Stouffville rail corridor, both designed by Arcadis — the Amsterdam-based global firm that acquired Toronto-based IBI Group in Fall 2022 — for developer Metropia. UnionCity has received zoning approval, with its first two towers sold and the third currently in sales. The developer is preparing to commence construction on that development in March 2024 as part of its master-planned community.
Located generally northwest of Kennedy Road and Hwy 407, but more specifically south of Enterprise Boulevard at the northeast corner of University and YMCA boulevards, UnionCity South calls for a mixed-use development with six residential towers and six-storey podiums. Five of the towers would form one building, sprouting from a shared podium fronting the two boulevards, with a single tower in the centre as a separate building, ranging in height from 35 to 49 storeys, or 109.90m to 159.55m.
The property, initially granted high-rise residential planning permissions in 2014, was later sold to Enterprise Boulevard Inc. Those plans did not proceed, and the new owner has now reinvigorated this previously dormant site. The property, legally known as Part Lots 8 & 9, Concession 5, is currently vacant and about 23,900m² in area.
The development would bring 2,608 residential units to the neighbourhood, a decrease from the initial proposal of 3,520 units from a pre-consultation in 2022. Each of the six towers would have four elevators. The proposal calls for 873 units in Phase 1 (Towers A and B), 710 units in Phase 2 (Towers C and D), 576 units in Phase 3 (Tower E), and 449 units in Phase 4 (Tower F).
These numbers would result in most of the development going beyond the threshold of 1 elevator per 100 units, with about 109 units per elevator in Towers A and B, 144 for Tower E, and 112 for Tower F. Meanwhile, Towers C and D would average about 89 units per elevator.
The design also features a variety of commercial areas, including retail, office, and daycare spaces. The total gross floor area (GFA) for the site would add up to 204,680m², with 10,000m² dedicated to non-residential area. Residents and visitors would be able to access the site with a vehicular entrance for VIVA buses at the southeast corner. The site is also less than 300m east of Unionville GO station.
The current proposal includes 1,707 parking spaces, with 1,304 for residents, 261 for visitors, and 280 for office and retail use. In addition, the site plan further incorporates 1,504 long-term and 376 short-term bicycle spaces.
UnionCity South is part of a broader, cohesive vision for Unionville's evolution that includes other significant developments. The aforementioned UnionCity includes three mixed-use condominium buildings up to 44 storeys or 147.70m in height, totalling 1,350 residential units. On the east side of University Boulevard, the York University/Seneca College Markham Centre Campus is under construction, to comprise of three buildings ranging from 3 to 15 storeys.
While historic Unionville north of Highway 7 is being preserved as a heritage community, this southern extension — formerly farmland — is to be a dense, vibrant, future-oriented community.
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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