Toronto is about to get a brand-new skyline that extends into a different city

An area along Toronto's northern edge may soon become one of the most densely built-out clusters of high-rise development in the city — or 'cities' if you want to get technical.

The blocks surrounding the future Steeles subway station on Metrolinx's upcoming Yonge North Subway Extension project will soon erupt with densely clustered towers, creating an entirely new skyline that extends from both sides of the city's meeting point with York Region.

Digital marketer and passionate urban development analyst Stephen Velasco — known for his 3D digital models of Toronto's future cityscapes — has been tracking development in the area, and has created a graphic depicting the very vertical future on tap for the area surrounding the future Steeles Station.

Velasco explains the sweeping changes coming to the area, telling blogTO that "over the last several years, a number of high-density development proposals have emerged surrounding the Yonge and Steeles intersection, a designated Protected Major Transit Station Area (PTMSA)."

"This comes in advance of the Yonge North Subway Extension to Richmond Hill and a future transit station along TTC Line 1 that will service the area," explains Velasco, noting that the planned transit connection has already catalyzed proposals for "more than 25,000 residential units across more than 2,500 storeys within a 700-metre radius of the intersection."

Updated look at the future of Yonge and Steeles, where more than 25,000 residential units are proposed across towers up to 65-storeys in height. This surge in density comes in advance of the TTC Line 1 Subway Extension to Richmond Hill.#Toronto #urbanplanning #ToRE pic.twitter.com/Y7gtHQFEHy

— Future Model Toronto (@FutureModelTO) October 31, 2023

Some of these projects would be exceptionally tall for this semi-suburban area, with towers proposed at heights of up to 65 storeys.

South of the dividing line, projects on the Toronto side of this cluster include 6355 Yonge, 88 Steeles West, 10 Abitibi Avenue, 26 Nipigon Avenue, and a redevelopment of Centerpoint Mall, to name just a few.

To the north, some of the biggest projects in the works on the Vaughan side of this new skyline include 7028 Yonge, 72 Steeles West, and 7200 Yonge.