Planning Vaughan’s world-class downtown

Feb. 4, 2019 3:00 p.m.

​Council re-establishes the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Sub-Committee

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Members of Council have voted to re-establish the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) Sub-Committee for the 2018-2022 Term of Council. Mayor Bevilacqua spoke to the importance of continuing the VMC Sub-Committee during his keynote address at the inaugural meeting of Council in December 2018.

 
First established in 2011, the VMC Sub-Committee brings together Council, staff, stakeholders and business leaders to work toward the city’s shared goal of transforming the VMC into a thriving urban hub of economic opportunity, culture, greenspace and healthy active living. Mayor Bevilacqua will continue as Chair of the sub-committee. Ward 3 Councillor Rosanna DeFrancesca, Ward 4 Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco and Local and Regional Councillor Linda D. Jackson, will also serve on the sub-committee.
 
The decision by Council follows Mayor Bevilacqua’s historic announcement that Niagara University has expanded to the VMC with a modern new site located in the Expo City complex. The 12,000-square-foot addition includes seven classrooms, faculty and administration offices and student lounge areas. Students studying in Vaughan can enrol in either the bachelor of professional studies in education or the master of science in education programs. Niagara University’s Vaughan site is walking distance from the VMC TTC subway station and further connected by vivaNext bus rapid transit service.
 
Smart Commute North Toronto Vaughan, in partnership with the City, York Region and Metrolinx, recently held the Vaughan Transportation Symposium, where stakeholders and businesses came together to understand their mobility options and discuss ways to improve the efficient use of Vaughan’s transportation system within the City’s downtown core and across the municipality.
 
In September 2018, the City earned the Ontario Traffic Council’s Project of the Year Award for the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Mobility Hub. This award recognizes excellence in the field of transportation planning, and is given to projects that display innovation, support sustainability and contribute to quality of life.
 
Several mixed-use developments are currently being planned or underway. Of note, cranes tower over the site of the future PwC-YMCA Tower, which will feature a YMCA and a City of Vaughan Centre for Community. This latest addition to the downtown will feature a new Vaughan Public Libraries branch, a community kitchen, as well as dance and music spaces, among many other amenities for residents of all ages.    
 
QUOTE
 
“As we continue the process of thoughtfully planning our city’s future, the VMC Sub-Committee continues to play an important role in shaping our emerging downtown. The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is the largest and most ambitious project in the City’s history and continues to attract transformational investments like the arrival of Niagara University – Vaughan’s first university. The PwC-YMCA Tower, Transit City, The MET and the KPMG Tower are among some of the many other developments shaping Vaughan’s rapidly growing skyline. I look forward to working closely with industry leaders and community partners over the next four years to build on our success and unleash the potential of the VMC.”
-        Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
 
QUICK FACTS
 
  • The VMC is projected to include:
    • 1.5 million square feet of office space
    • 750,000 square feet of retail space
    • 12,000 residential units to be home to 25,000 people
    • employment targets of 11,500 jobs, of which 5,000 will be new office jobs
  • The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station has a daily usage of 14,800 riders
 
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