Major makeover in the works for Centre Street

Rezoning the vacant lots would open up opportunities to developers

Local councillors have drafted a plan for major redevelopment and mass transit lanes along Centre Street in Thornhill, much to the dismay of neighbouring residents. If the plan is adopted by Vaughan city council, the land between Dufferin Street and New Westminster Drive would be rezoned to allow for high-density development, as opposed to the current two-storey maximum.

“The street was becoming a wasteland,” said local Coun. Alan Shefman, who added that the new Viva rapid transitway and much-anticipated Yonge Street subway extension were also motivating factors in developing the street. The draft plan includes a 12-storey building and a two-storey townhouse complex on the corner of New Westminster Drive and Centre Street. In addition, the plan calls for the redevelopment of retail, underground parking lots and a park. The challenge, Shefman added, is giving developers enough density to warrant underground parking, which tends to be expensive.

“The fact is that Centre Street will be a rapid transit corridor, and it’s owned by a wide variety of property owners, and what tends to happen in those cases is a hodgepodge of development,” Shefman said. “You end up with no vision and no sense of community.”

But Gila Martow, president of the Beverly Glen Ratepayers Association, said that is not the right type of development for the area.

“There is no flow along Centre Street, so obviously something has to be done,” Martow said. “I’m annoyed that the suggestion … is vacant lots or high density. We’ve had our fair share. By fixing one problem, they’re creating hundreds more. This isn’t why I wanted to live in Thornhill.”

Martow added that she would like to see an Art Deco type of development, with street-level shopping and patios. She added that she gathered at least 100 signatures from residents opposed to the plan.

City staff is currently finalizing the plan, slated for council at the end of February or early March.

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO