Neil Garbe, City Manager, provided opening remarks regarding the development of the Richmond Hill Centre. He reviewed the purpose and governance of the project, and indicated the Richmond Hill Centre would be a world-leading urban growth centre and mobility hub with a future-focused community. N. Garbe reviewed the 3 components of the Richmond Hill Centre Subway Project workplan and outlined the deliverables for the Richmond Hill Centre Subway Station and the Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan. N. Garbe introduced Michael Morrissey, Senior Design and Development Advisor, Morrissey Designs, as the planning project lead in the Langstaff Gateway Development Concept in Markham who would highlight the possible connections with the Richmond Hill Centre.
Michael Morrissey, Senior Design and Development Advisor, Morrissey Designs, outlined his career and involvement with the development of the Markham Centre project, and noted the importance to implementing a flexible Secondary Plan for future growth. He reviewed the 3 urban growth centres located along Highway 407; Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Langstaff Gateway; and the Markham Centre, and specified that each growth centre was recognized as a mobility hub and was approved as part of the provincial Growth Plan. M. Morrissey provided an overview of the Langstaff-Gateway site location, site statistics for the Masterplan, and massing of the project. He advised of a site visit coordinated in mid-July to Battery Park City, New York, to learn about high-density projects and to identify civic amenities and major open spaces. M. Morrissey provided a comparison of open spaces between Battery Park City and Langstaff-Gateway, and displayed images of open space systems, parks, urban schools, community centres, and to building sustainable designs in dense areas.
Leigh McGrath, Urban Strategies, provided an update to the Secondary Plan Study. She reviewed the 5 Phases of the Plan highlighting the Masterplan Stream and Engagement Stream, and noted the current process at Phase 3. She reviewed the results from the public open house held on June 26, 2019, advised of the updated vision resulting from feedback received through phases 1 and 2 of the Secondary Plan process, and reviewed the 6 draft principles and conceptual ideas of the Richmond Hill Centre.
Craig Lametti, Urban Strategies, reviewed the 10 key ideas for the Richmond Hill Centre, which were captured within the draft principles and highlighted the next steps for the Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan.