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Revised plans have been filed for 28 Main Street in Markham's Unionville area, proposing a 39-storey mixed-use rental tower designed by Arsenault Architect for OnePiece and Ideal Developments. The resubmission applies to the East Parcel of a larger multi-parcel property located east of Unionville GO station and along the Enterprise BRT corridor.
The currently vacant 7,805m² site is on the north side of Enterprise Boulevard, half way between the GO Stouffville line and Kennedy Road. This application is for the east side of the two-parcel holding that is divided by Bill Crothers Drive, with the west parcel slated for future consideration through a separate application. The surrounding area is evolving into a high-density, mixed-use district, including residential towers, institutional uses, and transit infrastructure.
A 2012 proposal by a prior owner envisioned three buildings ranging from 9 to 25 storeys across the east and west parcels, which culminated in an Official Plan Amendment in 2014, followed by a change in ownership.
Updated plans were brought forward in 2018 and 2019, prompting further review and an appeal after Markham Council refused revised applications in 2021. The matter was ultimately resolved through a settlement approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2022, establishing plans for 36, 37, and 39 storeys across the property. The latest submission advances that settlement by focusing on the East Parcel and is supported by new applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for that portion of the site.
That single 39-storey tower would rise 133m atop a six-storey podium. Compared with earlier iterations that contemplated a shorter tower on this parcel, the revised scheme redistributes height and density while retaining the staggered, offset massing approach.
The proposal would deliver 401 purpose-built rental units. The building would contain 49,043m² of Gross Floor Area, including roughly 611m² of commercial space at grade along Enterprise Boulevard. This translates to a Floor Space Index of 6.28 across the east parcel, most of which would become public parkland.
Resident amenities would be concentrated at the seventh level, including 468m² of indoor area paired with 248m² of outdoor amenity area. At grade, the resubmission expands the public open space component, increasing the parkland dedication from 4,370m² to 4,500m², located at the corner of Enterprise Boulevard and Main Street Unionville.
Only three elevators are planned, equating to roughly one elevator per 134 units, indicating high-speed motors would be required for prompt service times when all elevators are operating normally, but which would be badly strained with just one out of service. Vehicular parking would be accommodated in one below-grade level and above-grade podium levels from the second through sixth storeys. A total of 345 parking spaces is proposed, including 277 resident and 68 visitor spaces. Bicycle parking would total 501 spaces, broken down into 100 short-term and 401 long-term spaces.
The Enterprise BRT station on the Viva Purple corridor is located about 400m southwest of the site, providing rapid east–west service along Enterprise Boulevard and Highway 7, while Unionville GO station lies approximately 800m away, offering rail service on the Stouffville Line.
Additional surface transit is available within a short walk, including YRT routes operating along Main Street Unionville, Kennedy Road, and the YMCA Boulevard corridor. Cycling infrastructure lines both Enterprise Boulevard and Main Street Unionville, where on-street bike lanes and multi-use paths connect the site to nearby transit stops.
The proposal is situated within an area experiencing sustained high-rise growth across Markham Centre. Adjacent to the north, the York University Markham Student Residence is proposed at 32 storeys, while to the northeast, 8350 Kennedy Road would rise 23 and 27 storeys. Southeast of the site, 55–83 Helen Avenue is planned with 10- and 21-storey buildings, and 8111 Kennedy Road proposes a cluster of six towers ranging from 8 to 42 storeys. To the west, UnionCity is under construction, featuring three towers from 36 to 44 storeys, alongside the proposed UnionCity South development, which would add six towers between 41 and 45 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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