The shopping centre was developed by JDS Development and opened in 1982. The mall was named for its proximity to the historical villages of Markham and Unionville. The original ground floor featured an artificial waterway. The mall was renovated in 1991 as part of an expansion. It is now owned by Cadillac Fairview. Markville was renovated by EllisDon for million from 2011-2013. The renovation included the installation of of porcelain tile flooring, and 12,000 linear feet of glass handrails. Over of commercial space was renovated. A new food court known as the "Express Eatery" at entrance 7 opened on 23 August 2012, while the former food court located next to Best Buy has been remodelled into shop space. The renovation was completed in two years, and was finished in the Fall of 2013. The renovation also coincided with an initiative to offering a more luxurious shopping experience, and add many brands new to Canada or the Greater Toronto Area. During this transitional period, the mall's store count was reduced to 160. Stores such as Town Shoes and Bombay have closed for higher-end retailers. Shoppers Drug Mart was moved to the upper level and Coast Mountain Sports was closed. The space has been expanded to accommodate Sporting Life. An Apple Store also moved in on second floor next to Toys "R" Us. Sears closed on February 28, 2015. The upper level of the former Sears space opened as Saks Fifth AvenueOFF 5TH on March 8, 2018, while the lower level opened as Marshalls on October 1, 2019. All of the independent stores near the former Sears were also replaced, while among the new tenants include a Mercedes-Benzshowroom. Le Château closed in 2016, being replaced by Japanese retailer Muji in 2017. Hot Topic closed, and its space was filled by Miniso in Summer 2018. Sport Chek closed in 2012 and was replaced by Forever 21. Forever 21 closed in Spring 2018 to make way for Japanese retailer Uniqlo to open in its Canadian expansion, one of the four new locations in Canada. This marks the largest closure since Sears's removal in 2015. The store was liquidated and cleared out in a massive sale that caused long lineups outside the store, allowing a limited number of people to shop. The store remained visible while vacant until an opaque border was put up, with the Uniqlo logo. The location opened on October 12, 2018. A few Chinese retailers have opened in the mall including Hong Kong based Lukfook Jewellery, Osim, and Chinese based Miniso. Despite the bankruptcy and closure of its United States operations in March 2018, the Toys "R" Us continues to operate in Canada as normal including its CF Markville location.
