Earlier this week, Cadillac Fairview presented a plan for its Buttonville lands — about seven hectares of land where the current airport is located — during a public meeting.
The plan, for Buttonville Town Centre, is designed primarily as an employment centre with up to about 4.6 million square feet of office space that will accommodate about 22,000 jobs.
The plan also includes several public park areas, a private park area with a man-made lake and a condominium building that towers more than 60 storeys, all of which raised concerns from residents at the meeting.
“We want to create a beacon for those travelling down Hwy. 404,” said Cadillac Fairview land use planner and president of Malone Given Parsons Ltd., Don Given.
“It lets people know they’ve arrived in Markham. This could be the catalyst to change and improve the area.”
But some residents argued the building height is too high.
To date, Markham’s height restrictions are based on the airport’s safe airspace requirements.
With the airport being redeveloped, that leaves room for other buildings and businesses to stretch skyward.
Some residents also argued the amount of green space was too little and the land should be left as natural as possible.
“There is nothing natural about an airport,” Mr. Given said. “We want to add more to it than merely buildings.”
The proposed man-made lake sits on Cadillac Fairview property and would be managed and treated by the developers. The water would be collected from building rooftops and could be used to help heat or cool the area, Mr. Given said.
The idea is for the lake to be a focal point for the community, where there can be dragon boat races, a restaurant on the lake and a walking path along the water’s edge. The lake could also be used as an outdoor skating rink during winter.
“Water has a magical appeal,” Mr. Given said. “It brings people to it.”
Many residents questioned how the lake would be kept clean with the number of geese in the area, which could contaminate the lake and act as a deterrent.
Mr. Given ensured the water would be treated on a regular basis and costs would be covered by the developer.
The proposed development — which is currently in the secondary plan process with a site plan expected to come before council in 2013 — also includes plans for about 3,500 residential units and about 1 million square feet of retail, restaurant, commercial and entertainment space.
“When this is all done, we want the people of Markham to say, ‘This is the way it should be’,” Mr. Given said. “We want this to be a place for everyone.”
The mix of residential, commercial and retail space did spark interest from residents at the meeting.
“We know density is coming,” Markham Village City Ratepayers Association member Karen Rea said. “But this is different than the big box stores we’ve been stuck with.”
The area will help boost the city’s employment-to-resident ratio from about 24 per cent to 57 per cent, said Ward 6 Councillor Alan Ho, who facilitated the public meeting.
“We will see population growth,” he said. “At the same time we have to grow our jobs.”
The airport is expected to close by the end of 2013. The developer has set a target occupancy for Buttonville Town Centre of 2015.
York Region News source
Seemed like a great idea at the time !!!
