Just a 30‐minute drive from the downtown core, Markham has seen a remarkable growth in the last ten years . With IBM, Sun Microsystems and Motorola calling Markham home for their Canadian headquarters, the town has been dubbed the “Silicon Valley of the North” and highly educated and skilled professionals are also making Markham home. Residents are lured not only by proximity to employment, but by the town’s lower taxes and pleasing mix of urbanity and natural environment.
Sixteen years ago when Markham was on the cusp of its incredible growth, town council was determined to avoid the fate so many other suburbs before it had fallen victim to—satellites of Toronto that encouraged sprawl, congestion and excessive car use, and devoid of the natural public spaces. The town knew it had to plan carefully to accommodate and manage rapid growth, and this couldn’t be done without the cooperation of developers.
The Remington Group Inc., a GTA developer with 60 years of experience in residential, industrial and commercial real estate, stepped up to the plate. After years of constructing subdivision after subdivision, the venerable developer was ready to do things differently. Remington sat down with the Town of Markham and agreed on the principles of sustainable development for its most ambitious project to date, Downtown Markham—a 243‐acre, $3‐billion mixed‐use development. And Remington was ready to commit in a major way: Downtown Markham would take ten years of planning in cooperation with municipal and provincial governments, in addition to environmental consultants and advocates. The project had a 20‐year horizon from start to finish, a vision nothing short of transforming and redefining the North American suburban experience. Downtown Markham lies between Highway 407 and the Rouge River. It extends from Warden Avenue on the west to the GO Transit rail line and the Unionville GO Station on the east.
The goal from the outset was for all residents to live, work and play, all within walking distance. Careful attention was paid to scale. No soaring skyscrapers or six‐lane thoroughfares. Instead, Downtown Markham will feature low rises and welcoming, human‐proportioned structures. Car‐free living becomes a reality, thanks to wide, tree‐lined, pedestrian‐friendly boulevards that lure residents out of their cars and on‐foot along cosmopolitan gallerias with small boutiques. Downtown Markham’s commercial and residential areas will be interspersed with airy, green, public spaces. Large piazzas, similar to those found in Europe, would act as natural gathering places for residents to enjoy the scenery and people watching after enjoying a leisurely day of shopping, or to briefly unwind over the workday lunch hour. Both bustle and serenity can be had.
Concurrent to Remington’s plans to create 72 acres of parks and green spaces were strategies to protect existing ecologies in the Downtown Markham area. One of the province’s most sensitive and spectacular ecosystems—the Rouge River Valley—meanders through the heart of the development and the developer was bound and determined to build thoughtfully around it, not over it. Rather than simply building parks in the project, Remington worked with multiple levels of government, environmental advocates and the public to guide the project towards building homes and businesses into the natural landscape. The developer even reconnected an old tributary to the Rouge River that had been filled in by a farmer’s field years earlier, creating a more natural environment for flora and fauna to thrive while eliminating the need for a man‐made flood plain. The result was a win‐win situation for both man and Mother Nature. Stunning, varied, and unobstructed views of the Rouge River can be found in Downtown Markham’s condominiums and town homes, particularly from units in the new luxury Verdale on the Valley condominium, while the Rouge River’s habitat is preserved, guaranteeing both the view and the environment’s safety forever.
Remington has embraced this new era of outdoor living spaces designed to engage residents physically, intellectually and emotionally. This philosophy is entirely new not only to the suburbs, but to cities too, which in decades past have become static, concrete centres where green spaces are considered adornments. As part of its LEED commitment, Remington designed Downtown Markham residences to maximize the amount of natural light residences are exposed to. Use of glass doors, screens and strategically‐placed windows has made this possible. This not only reduces electricity consumption, but also transforms the space and enhances the interplay between interior and exterior environments. The way the new, savvier generation of urbanites see it, this isn’t merely a matter of improved quality of life. Proximity to green spaces enjoy a corresponding rise in property values, as residents find appeal in the privacy and serenity windows to nature offer, a feature difficult to find in the city.
Remington also knew that the lush scenery outside had to be complemented by equally impressive finishes on the inside. With a demanding, highly educated and sophisticated clientele, the developer understood that its future tenants sought Downtown Markham’s European lifestyle because they had actually experienced it. Thoughtful design and convenient functionality were priorities from the outset.
The Verdale on the Valley is a promising investment, and not only for its desirable location, innovative vision and luxurious design. The building represents an investment in sustainable development, an issue that is quickly climbing the list of priorities for tenants, residents and investors today. Consumers realize how sustainable design helps their wallets. The cost savings realized through low‐flow faucets, dual flush toilets and high‐efficiency showerheads are just the beginning, and Remington has built the green right into the bricks and mortars by following the rigorous standards set by LEED.
Today, Downtown Markham is on its seventh condominium—The Verdale on the Valley—its most luxurious building yet. Lured by the unobstructed, lifetime‐guaranteed view of the Rouge River Valley, the pleasurable mixed‐use lifestyle and the ability to enjoy urbanity in the lush landscape of this suburb, Downtown Markham has redefined what it means to live just outside the city. It is becoming a city of its own, with visions of New York, London and Paris to guide its growth.
There are also 175 freehold townhouses built and about 4000 condominiums.
Call Tom @ 647-299-4529 to inquire and invest in the future of downtown Markham