Projects

2600 Steeles Avenue West

A new transit-oriented mixed-use development near York University.

The ask: Lead the redevelopment in the Steeles West Secondary Plan area to create a high intensification mixed-use community on former industrial lands.

Partner

The Challenge

Made up of former industrial lands, this site was redesignated to high-rise mixed-use in 2006 when the City of Vaughan adopted OPA 620, the Steeles West Secondary Plan. As time had passed and the Pioneer Village Subway Station was introduced, the approved heights and densities became outdated. The challenge was to initiate an Official Plan Amendment to create higher density targets within walking distance of major transit. There was a uniquely complex stakeholder network to navigate, which included intricacies of being adjacent to another municipality and a hydro corridor. As the first developer in the Secondary Plan area, our client was also tasked with leading the public road alignment, and coordinating a significant amount of other infrastructure.

Our Solution

Working collaboratively with the project team and various stakeholders, we proposed a thoughtfully designed master plan concept that introduced three new public roads and a municipal greenway for efficient site circulation and multi-modal transportation. As the Secondary Plan Area is currently underserved in terms of local amenities and services, it was important to provide a range of non-residential uses for both the local community and students/faculty of York University. Part way through the process, the site was expanded to include 2700 Steeles Avenue West which unlocked greater opportunity for programming.

The Outcome

City Council approved the high-rise mixed-use development in 2022, which was the result of significant collaboration between Zancor Homes, the project team and several stakeholders including the City of Vaughan, City of Toronto, York University, and Hydro One. Significant thought went into who the end-users of the site were, which resulted in a plan that included seven towers with a range of residential unit types and several non-residential uses at-grade. The project will introduce office uses, new retail activating several streets, a children’s daycare, a senior’s daycare, a new amenity/community hub, and a large new public park along with other publicly accessible open space.