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Plans are advancing for the first phase of a larger community at 455 Ferrier Street in Markham, where a 33-storey mixed-use rental tower is proposed as part of what will be Saint Mark’s Coptic Canadian Village. Designed by BDP Quadrangle for St Mark’s Koinonia Housing Corp., the development would bring new density to lands anchored by the existing St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, while setting the framework for future phases of redevelopment. The site is positioned just north of Steeles Avenue East and west of the emerging Milliken GO Station area.
The development site spans approximately 4,816m², occupying the northeast corner of a larger property bounded by Acadia Avenue to the north and east, Ferrier Street to the west, and Steeles Avenue East to the south. The lands are currently home to St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, surrounded by an expansive surface parking lot that serves the religious and community facility. Phase 1 would redevelop a portion of this underused parking area, replacing roughly 109 spaces while retaining the cathedral and its broader campus. The surrounding area is characterized by a mix of low-rise commercial and residential uses, with a more suburban built form typical of this edge condition between Markham and Toronto.
The proposal represents the first step in the masterplan, which envisions a gradual transformation of the cathedral’s surrounding lands over time. While the long-term concept contemplates redevelopment of the extensive surface parking areas, the existing St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral would remain as a central anchor within the site. At this stage, only Phase 1 is being advanced, with no defined timeline or program established for subsequent phases.
Phase 1 would introduce a 33-storey tower rising to 112.25m, in the northeast corner of the site, which will be filled out with an internal private road network. The proposal maintains the existing north-south and east-west private roads, to connect through to Acadia Avenue.
The development would deliver 425 purpose-built rental units within a Gross Floor Area of 33,140m², including approximately 33,280m² of residential space and 1,006m² of ground-floor retail. The unit mix would be weighted toward smaller formats, with 348 one-bedroom and 77 two-bedroom suites, including 156 affordable rental units alongside 269 market-rate units. Four elevators are proposed, translating to roughly one elevator per 106 units.
Parking and servicing would be accommodated below grade in a two-level underground garage. A total of 446 vehicular parking spaces are proposed, including 340 for residents and 106 for visitors, alongside 278 bicycle parking spaces split between 221 long-term and 57 short-term spaces.
There is frequent TTC east-west bus service operating along Steeles Avenue East just steps from the development, while north-south buses operate along Warden Avenue, one block to the east. These connections each link to Finch and Warden stations respectively in approximately 35 minutes, while Milliken GO station is accessible in about 15 minutes by bus. Looking ahead, planned investments such as a Bus Rapid Transit corridor along Steeles Avenue and the Yonge Line 1 North Subway Extension are expected to further improve connectivity. At present, the surrounding road network lacks dedicated cycling infrastructure, requiring cyclists to share lanes with vehicular traffic.
Development activity in the immediate area remains limited. However, a more concentrated wave of intensification is emerging further east around the Milliken GO Station corridor. Proposals in that area include a pair of 22- and 25-storey buildings at 4631 Steeles Avenue East, a four-tower development at 3447 Kennedy Road rising to 35 storeys, and the larger Milliken Transit-Oriented Community, which envisions 12 towers ranging from 25 to 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, Crozier Consulting Engineers, MHBC Planning |
