Residents of Downtown Markham have the choice of living in a vibrant mixed-use community in the heart of the downtown core near bustling shopping and entertainment areas and the market district, or in more traditional residential neighbourhoods west and east of the downtown core.

To meet Markham’s goal of having an intensified urban centre for the whole town, densities are higher than usual in the suburban GTA, but lower than common in the downtown Toronto core.

Downtown Markham will be compact and dense enough to create an urban lifestyle and to support public transit service, but still of a comfortable scale that will reflect the small town feel that distinguishes the town today.

All residences will be townhouses or apartments in buildings rising from three to eight storeys, and careful setbacks on stepping up in height will be employed so that lower and higher residences can be located close to each other without conflict. There will be a total of about 3,450 homes in Downtown Markham.

 

Including the mixed-use area of the core, this quadrant will contain approximately 235 freehold, low-rise townhouses and approximately 855 apartments. The unites will be grouped in two complementary blocks, ranging from three- to four-storey townhouses to eight-storey apartment buildings along Birchmount Road, Verclair Gate and the Civic Mall.

The inner areas contain streets reminiscent of the mix of buildings found in Edwardian downtown neighbourhoods such as Toronto’s Annex.

The townhouses will offer a mix of rear-lane and streetfront garages. Townhouses in the smaller blocks will be near neighbourhood parks or open space, while the larger blocks will be connected to a major walkway leading from Birchmount Road to Rouge Edge Park.

Tree-lined streets and residences set close to the street create character and encourage residents to participate in neighbourhood activities. On the east side of West Valley Drive, a crescent of townhouses will clearly define the urban edge.

This residential neighbourhood contains a mix of approximately 130 townhouses and approximately 570 apartments. There will be a range of housing types, from conventional townhouses to Brownstones with rear-lane access, to prominent six- to eight-storey apartments lining the Civic Mall.

East Valley Common provides a view corridor and linear park through the neighbourhood. There are views to the valley and the shady tree-lined street with the buildings set close will foster an active street life.