In the summer of 2009, Vaughan's city council announced that they wanted public submissions to suggest a new name for Vaughan's new downtown core. At the time, it was known as "Vaughan Corporate Centre", but the name change was suggested so that the name would "better reflect the true vision and future of this key hub". Nearly 1,600 entries were submitted; the subcommittee decided on the name of "Vaughan Metropolitan Centre" for the area.
Background
The Town of Vaughan officially became a City in 1991. It was made up of a number of historic communities–most with their own historic village or town centre–so Vaughan committed to building a new business and commercial core at the intersection of Highways 400 and 407. Approved in 1998, called for the Vaughan Corporate Centre, as it was then branded, to become a focal point for business activity and major commercial development. The plan truly found its legs in 2006 when the Province and designated the area around it as an . More designations and plans followed, defining the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and preparing it for development. In 2010, when Maurizio Bevilacqua became Mayor of the City of Vaughan, he made the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre one of his key priorities. He formed the VMC Sub Committee and began organizing the key infrastructure. Announcements for the VMC's first residential and office developments in and , respectively, proved that the blueprint had market potential. Development and interest have accelerated ever since. The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension officially opened in December 2017.
Development
Vaughan is building a city centrefrom scratch around the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station in a 179 hectare site that prior to the station's opening was low density featuring big box stores such as Walmart. Vaughan projects that by 2031, the new downtown will have 25,000 residents and employment for more than 11,000 people. As of 2019, developments in the VMC include eight residential towers and two office towers built or under construction. Another 13 developments are proposed, submitted and approved. The VMC will comprise distinct development precincts including residential neighbourhoods, office districts, employment areas and mixed-use areas, all linked by a robust system of parks, squares and open spaces and a fine grain grid pattern of streets. The Official Plan states as a policy that the City shall encourage and facilitate the establishment of the following in the VMC:
Socially diverse residential neighbourhoods that contain a mix of housing types, including housing suitable for seniors and families with children
An open space and natural heritage system along the Black Creek corridor.
In 2017, a website was launched in an effort to raise awareness, provide resources, engage members of the community, and highlight the progress of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre development. Further details of the City of Vaughan's plans for expansion and development are included as part of the council's secondary plan.
Public transit
VMC is served by both York Region Transit and Brampton Transit buses, and the Toronto Transit Commission subway. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station is located at the intersection of Highway 7 and Millway Avenue, just west of Jane Street. It is the northwestern terminus of Line 1 Yonge–University. The area is also served by YRT and Brampton Transit's Züm buses on Highway 7 and Jane Street. Viva Orange and 501 Züm Queen buses travel along the Highway 7 Rapidway, which features a covered Vivastation in its centre for transferring to the subway. Conventional YRT buses, with the exception of Route 77, which provides local service along Highway 7, connect with the station at the SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal. The subway station is part of the TTC Toronto fare zone and no extra fare is charged to enter and exit. However, there are no free transfers to and from the subway and YRT or Züm buses, and the appropriate system's fare is charged when transferring.
