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A major development is being proposed at 8500 Leslie Street in Markham’s Commerce Valley, where the first phase of a large mixed-use intensification would introduce four residential towers rising up to 42 storeys. Designed by BDP Quadrangle for Metrus Properties operating as Shatsford Developments Inc., the site is within the Leslie–Highway 7 Major Transit Station Area on the YRT VIVA Purple line, positioning new high-density residential uses alongside established employment lands.
Addressed to 8432 and 8500 Leslie Street, along with 220 Commerce Valley Drive West, the full site is 36,220m² in area. On the south side of Highway 7 between Commerce Valley Drive and Leslie Street, the site currently accommodates two low-rise office buildings with extensive surface parking and a shuttered banquet hall that operated under the name Le Parc. Recent and active redevelopment activity in the surrounding area signals a transition from auto-oriented employment lands to a more urban built form.
The property has functioned as an employment destination for several decades, with the complex developed in phases between 1989 and 2009. The easternmost building on the site rises six storeys and provides roughly 8,900m² of office space. While the current application signals a shift toward residential intensification, all existing buildings are proposed to remain in place as part of this first phase, with the closed banquet hall located on the lands planned for the next phase.
The proposal would introduce four residential towers in the centre of the northern portion of the lands, with building heights stepping down from the Highway 7 frontage toward the south. The towers would rise 38 storeys (123.5m) and 42 storeys (137.8m), respectively. Two mid-rise components complete the ensemble, proposed at 12 storeys (43m), and 10 storeys (37.5m).
Two buildings would share a podium on the west side of the site, while the other two would be linked by a second podium to the east, framing a large central outdoor amenity courtyard. A new public road is proposed along the southern edge of the Phase 1 lands.
The development would deliver 1,183 residential units, comprising 731 one-bedroom, 359 two-bedroom, and 93 three-bedroom or larger units. The Total Gross Floor Area of approximately 112,218m² would include 91,864m² of residential space and 1,457m² allocated to commercial uses at grade. This translates to a Floor Space Index of 7.30 on the northern portion.
Amenities would entail 2,964m² of indoor and 3,373m² of outdoor areas. Two underground garage levels are planned with 546 vehicular parking spaces, consisting of 428 residential and 118 visitor spaces. Bicycle facilities would include 1,190 bicycle parking spaces, with 948 long-term residential, 238 short-term residential, and four non-residential spaces.
Rapid transit service is provided by YRT along the Highway 7 corridor with the VIVA Rapid Transit Purple Line. For vehicular transit, the site is a short drive to Highways 404 and 407.
The proposal would join an intensifying stretch of the Highway 7 corridor. To the east, the YTO14 Data Centre is under construction as a three-storey facility, while Dymon Storage Minthorn has been proposed for a six-storey self-storage building, and the six-storey Sandman Signature Hotel Markham is under construction. Further east, a cluster of developments includes the Markham Woodside Redevelopment with 16 buildings up to 30 storeys. Nearby, the Sheraton Lands Redevelopment envisions eight towers ranging from 39 to 49 storeys, introducing another high-rise cluster at Highway 7 and Leslie. Farther west, South Park Road Blocks 46 and 49 propose six residential towers rising between 34 and 50 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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| Related Companies: | BDP Quadrangle |
