Enormous 19-tower development would transform skyline of Ontario city

A proposal to bring a sprawling development with over a dozen and a half towers to a vacant field in Vaughan could further transform the Ontario city, which is already in the midst of a historic vertical growth spurt.

One of the key players in Vaughan's generation shift from low-slung developments to the high-flying condo towers now sprouting into the local skyline, Cortel Group is hoping to cement itself among the most prominent builders in the region with a monumental mixed-use neighbourhood with a whopping 19 towers.

Cortel has filed plans with the City to build the immense conglomeration of towers on an empty lot at 1890 Highway 7 — an 11.5-hectare site on the north side of Highway 7, roughly 3.5 kilometres east of Vaughan's emerging downtown.

The site, located in immediate proximity to the future Concord GO station, has been considered for intensification for years now.

A smaller vision approved through provincial appeals in 2019 sought to bring a trio of 22-storey towers from Cortel and partner Liberty Development to the southern portion of the site. Municipal approvals for an even larger plan on this part of the property, calling for three 37-storey towers, were granted in 2024.

This first phase of development, known as Rose Garden, would create a residential foothold for the larger community that would follow, bring 1,322 new homes to what is now just blank space.

The current blueprints for the broader site, proposed in late June, features a master scheme from Kirkor Architects and Planners that boasts 19 towers ranging in height from 39 to 48 storeys across six blocks of development, with a whopping 10,912 residential units. 

Combined with the trio already planned elsewhere of the site, this field could soon house a staggering 22 towers.

In addition to boosting residential density next to a future transit station, the project would also foster connections with the natural landscapes of the adjacent West Don River through significant green space on its east side, including new trail links providing access to the nearby Bartley Smith Greenway and Langstaff Eco Park.

Other notable aspects of the proposal include a grocery component, along with a health and wellness centre, a daycare, and a central roundabout at the junction of two new public streets.