Item - 2025.PH25.10

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council forward the report (October 16, 2025) from the Executive Director, Development Review to the City of Markham, Planning and Development Services Department for consideration. 

The City of Markham has been engaged by Infrastructure Ontario (IO) to provide comments on a development proposal that is being coordinated with internal departments and external partners. This report is submitted regarding the potential amendment to the City of Markham’s Zoning By-law that would permit a mixed-use development as part of the Province of Ontario’s Transit-Oriented Communities (“TOC”) Program.

The Milliken TOC proposal is situated on of 9.3 hectare parcel located on the north side of Steeles Avenue East, west of the Stouffville Regional GO Rail Line. The site falls within a Protected Major Transit Area (PMTSA) within the City of Markham which is awaiting approval from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The proposal consists of 8 residential buildings with 12 towers ranging from 25 to 50 stories in height (in addition to mid-rise built forms of up to 15 storeys) situated upon podiums ranging from 1 to 6 storeys yielding a total of approximately 5,500 dwelling units. The proposal features 10,100 square metres of non-residential gross floor area and a 1.97-hectare central park. Access to the block is facilitated through a 24.5m wide north-south public road, adjacent to the Pacific Mall lands, connecting Kennedy Road to Steeles Avenue East. Further access within the site is provided through a series of private roads including a secondary connection to Kennedy Road.

Because of the subject site’s proximity to the municipal boundary, the submission has been circulated to the City of Toronto in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act and a mutually agreed upon protocol to review neighbouring municipalities’ planning applications and studies. The report identifies comments from Development Review staff and provides recommendations to protect the City’s interests concerning the proposal.