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Forested ravine areas, a pond, and a watercourse all connected to the Humber River shape an undeveloped site in Vaughan’s West Woodbridge–Elder Mills neighbourhood, where City Park Homes has proposed an ambitious six-tower development to the north of a shopping plaza. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, the towers from 22 to 29 storeys would be the tallest and densest in this part of Vaughan. Currently addressed to 5850 Langstaff Road but actually fronting Highway 27, (the address will be changed to reflect the actual location as the project proceeds), while rezoning here was previously pursued through a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), the development is now advancing under a standard planning application.
An MZO is a provincial planning tool that allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to fast-track development by overriding local zoning. A Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) application was first submitted to the Province in May, 2024, but following the elimination of the tool under the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, the application was refiled as an MZO. After discussions with City staff, that approach was ultimately set aside, and the developer formally requested a transition to a standard planning process with Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications.
Located on the east side of Highway 27 north of what's locally known as the Fortinos Plaza, the property is zoned as Agricultural and Environmental Protection lands, with the full site spanning 7.94 hectares. Other than the plaza immediately to the south, the surrounding neighbourhoods to the east, north, and south are primarily low-rise residential plus ravine parkland. (While the rendering above shows a forest to the north of the site, in fact there is a low-rise residential cul-de-sac to the north, as seen in the aerial imagery below.) West across Highway 27 lie employment lands with some remaining agricultural fields that haven't yet been redeveloped. Further west past the left edge of the image below is Highway 427.
For the proposal, 5.13 hectares are designated as environmental protection lands to be conveyed to the applicable public authority. The proposal includes a vegetative buffer, concentrating development within the remaining 2.81 hectares.
Organized across three blocks, the north building consists of two towers rising 22 and 26 storeys atop a 6-storey podium. South of this would be a single 28-storey tower above an 8-storey podium. The largest component is the east building, with three towers at 22, 28, and 29 storeys rising from a 7-storey podium, with a 5-storey above-grade parkade.
The current plan calls for 1,955 residential units, down from 2,043 from the previous version. There would be three residential elevators per tower, with one additional elevator serving parking levels. This results in ratios ranging from approximately one elevator per 104 units in the north building to 121 in the south building, requiring high-speed motors for adequate service. A total Gross Floor Area of 140,906m² would result in a Floor Space Index of 5.03 times coverage of the lot, a notable decrease from the previous 6.71 times, with additional space dedicated to landscape and open space elements. A 4,350m² public park is planned at the east end of the site to be added to the local ravine park system.
Plans entail 2,279m² of indoor amenities located within the podium levels, as well as 4,504m² of outdoor amenities, including a rooftop terrace atop the 6th floor of the parkade and a large central courtyard. Along with the above ground spaces in the parkade, a three-level underground garage would provide 1,873 spaces for residents and 408 for visitors, a slight reduction from the previous 2,286. Bicycle parking also sees a decrease, with 1,228 spaces now planned compared to 1,472 previously. The project is to be phased, beginning with the largest east building and its 968 units, followed by the south building with 363 units, and concluding with the two towers at the northwest corner, delivering the remaining 622 units.
York Region Transit has stops located approximately 210m and 554m from the site, or walking times of 3 to 7 minutes. The site is positioned near the proposed GO Transit Bolton line, for which no funds have been committed. For cyclists, existing bike lanes along Langstaff Road provide direct east-west cycling access between Highway 27 and Highway 50.
Surrounding development activity does not match the scale of the Langstaff proposal. To the southwest, Hotel Vie is proposed at 12 storeys, and the 7-storey Home2 Suites Vaughan is under construction. Further southeast, near Kipling and Woodbridge Avenues, several mid-rise residential projects are proposed, with the 7-storey 348 Woodbridge Avenue under construction. Further west across Highway 50, a proposal at 9379 Clarkway Drive calls for three towers between 12 and 14 storeys.
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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