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There may be no more quintessentially American suburban form in the Greater Toronto Area than the Vaughan Mills outlet mall site and its surroundings at Rutherford Road and Highway 400 in York Region. With a big-box style shopping centre at its core, and a constellation of more big-box retail encircling it, the regional centre with quick highway access is knit together by service roads and vast surface parking lots. In recent years, high-rise residential development has begun on undeveloped land close to the mall, but now, a proposal has been submitted to the City of Vaughan to redevelop one of the existing commercial blocks immediately surrounding the mall with a mix of uses at high density.
The massive proposal from BentallGreenOak and Sun Life Financial is addressed to 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, this master-planned project encompasses a mix of residential, office, retail, and community spaces. It is located just east of the Bass Pro Mills Drive interchange with Highway 400, and is just over 1km southwest of the intersection of Jane Street and Rutherford Road which has been identified as a future Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) by the City of Vaughan.
The project is currently navigating the stages of Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Draft Plan of Subdivision through concurrent applications. The 5.48-hectare site currently comprises the Village at Vaughan Mills shopping centre. The planned redevelopment envisions a total of 10 architecturally diverse buildings, ranging from 2 to 39 storeys with a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 7.0. It would include a grand total of 2,966 residential units, 4,659m² of retail space, and 3,072m² of office area, maintianing a bustling commercial environment. Additionally, the plan includes 7,502m² of both public parkland and POPS (Privately Owned Publicly accessible Space) intended to become green oases in the heart of the new community.
A planned for 30 elevators across all blocks averages out to approximately one elevator per every 99 units. The residential buildings amenities would total 11,942m² of outdoor area and 3,368m² indoors. Outside the buildings, the plan's focus on public realm enhancement entails a grid-like street network, infused with pedestrian-friendly pathways and active street frontages.
Across the 10 blocks, the development would feature up to eight levels of underground parking, providing 2,464 residential parking spaces, 593 visitor parking spots, and dedicated parking for office (61 spaces) and retail use (105 spaces). Responding to Vaughan's requirements for infrastructure to support sustainable transportation, the plan includes comprehensive bicycle parking facilities, with 2,375 long-term and 595 short-term residential bicycle spaces, plus an additional 45 for retail and office use.
The proposal is aimed at aligning with the City of Vaughan's vision of growth and intensification in the area through its Vaughan Mills Centre Secondary Plan. The development's proximity to key landmarks like Canada's Wonderland and Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre, coupled with its location along the Highway 400 corridor, positions it in a pivotal piece in Vaughan's multi-nodal structure.
As the area evolves, plans are in place to increase its connectivity. Currently served by York Region Transit bus routes along Edgeley Boulevard and Bass Pro Mills Drive, the site is set to benefit from significant future transit investments through Bus Rapid Transit along Jane Street, while a study for a University Line 1 subway extension is outlined in the 2022 York Region Transportation Master Plan. The site is also a 12-minute drive west of the Rutherford GO station, which, along with the future MTSA proposed at Jane Street and Rutherford Road, highlights its potential access to improved public transportation in the future.
As mentioned near the top of the article, neighbouring sites are undergoing their own transformations. To the east, the Charisma Condos' completed Phase 1 and under-construction Phase 2 at 8940-8946 Jane Street include towers ranging 24 to 29 storeys. The Abeja District and 9075 Jane Street, northeast of the site, both feature towers up to 30 storeys. To the north, 3300 Rutherford Road is looking to introduce a range of buildings from 6 to 35 storeys on an existing commercial centre across from the Vaughan Mills mall site. These developments signify an incremental reshaping of Vaughan Mills' suburban environment.
Planned over multiple phases, with the initial 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive phase incorporating the east end of its site, there is a Public Meeting scheduled for January 23, 2024. It will be a platform for the proponents, public, and City staff to share their thoughts, shaping the future of this development.
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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