Futuristic city in the works to replace tract of farmland north of Toronto

A massive new complex is planned to rise above a rural stretch of Yonge Street, an ambitious plan to create a new mixed-use destination just north of Newmarket's city limits in the sleepy community of East Gwillimbury.

Redwood Properties has filed plans to redevelop a 150-acre tract of farmland along Yonge Street, north of Green Lane, replacing the rural uses with a new futuristic community designed by architects BNKC that would add residential, businesses, and public spaces including a vibrant town square.

Known simply as Yonge & Green Lane, the project intends to create a new urban focal point along Yonge Street, anchored by over 2,918 units and a combined 6,200 residents.

The master plan calls for 17 buildings in a variety of different typologies and tenures to house this critical mass of residential density, including single-family detached, townhomes, mid-rise, and high-rise condominiums and rental buildings.

A varied mixed-use plan designed around human-scaled streets, squares, markets, and parks would serve both the community's anchor residents and the vast urban sprawl of Newmarket to the south.

Redwood Properties hopes that Yonge & Green Lane will become a destination for the wider area to live, shop, dine, and explore.

It would accomplish this goal with a varied mix of uses, including 41,500 square feet of food and beverage space, 43,200 square feet of immersive retail space, 27,500 square feet of arts, culture, and entertainment space, 56,400 square feet of amenities and services, 41,500 square feet of health and wellness, and 21,500 square feet of office, institutional, and learning space.

Highlights of the plan include the Yonge Street Welcome district, a gateway to the community boasting bold and colourful building exteriors woven together with a series of green spaces and pathways.

A space known as the Town Square will serve as the community's central nexus, featuring a central stage and outdoor performance space.

An area dubbed the Upper Market Square space will offer several eateries and retailers, while the adjacent Lower Market Square will feature social interaction and recreation spaces.

The community's position along a branch of the East Holland River would be reflected in a pair of subdistricts known as the Lake and Eco-District.

The Lake District will provide a central recreational area with features like a cafe and waterfront restaurant, while the adjacent Eco-District is set to include community gardens, greenhouses, orchards, and trails that preserve the rural roots of the site.

Another area dubbed the Artist Alley is planned to serve as a creative hub for the community, where mid-rise structures would enclose intimate streets housing a variety of galleries, studios, learning and workshop spaces.

Sustainability is a key element in the design, described by the project team as a "smart community with a low carbon footprint, self-sustaining infrastructure and urban agriculture, in which Infrastructure, sustainability, and resiliency are key considerations, to create a healthy and resilient environment, which leverages technology to provide improved quality of life."