CentreCourt Developments has announced its highly anticipated plans for Pickering City Centre, a new mixed-use community located directly off Hwy. 401, at the epicentre of Pickering’s emerging downtown core.

Recognizing the immense potential of the site, CentreCourt secured the existing Pickering Town Centre Mall and surrounding lands in early 2023 and plans to develop a seamlessly integrated master-planned community. Over the next decade, a new thriving urban centre will come to life, featuring more than 6,000 residences across more than 10 mixed-use towers and a revitalized Pickering Town Centre Mall, creating an undeniable anchor for Pickering and all of Durham region.

“Pickering City Centre is an unparalleled opportunity to transform a cherished community hub into a modern downtown destination,” says Gavin Cheung, managing partner, president, CentreCourt. “As one of the fastest growing submarkets in the Greater Toronto Area, Pickering is on the cusp of an exciting moment. We are proud to be a part of this natural evolution, and to ensure Pickering City Centre becomes a true, complete community that showcases some of the finest residential, retail, commercial and public spaces in the GTA for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Featuring more than 55 acres, Pickering City Centre has been thoughtfully designed to take advantage of existing commercial, retail and institutional uses, including the Pickering Town Centre Mall and adjacent Pickering City Hall. New at-grade retail will complement these existing uses and connect the community via tree-lined streets, enhanced sidewalks and active pedestrian walkways, providing an unmatched experience for people to work, live or play in this new urban centre.

World-class amenities

Globally acclaimed architecture firm Diamond Schmitt designed Pickering City Centre to include an intricate network of large open greenspaces and urban plazas, helping build its identity as a place that brings people together. “The connected series of wide streets, parks, midblock landscaped courts, and urban piazzas are designed to connect people and activate a sense of community,” says Donald Schmitt, CM principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects. “With the tallest highrise building at 55 storeys, it was important to design a grade related network of amenities that support walkability and community connection. The cornerstone elements of the development include urban squares, which integrate the new community with a transformed retail precinct connected to public transit and other lush public greenspaces. These spaces will be places for community gatherings, markets, festivals and performances where residents and visitors come together for special moments including sporting events and social gatherings.”

Because of the masterplan’s significant scale, Pickering City Centre intends to offer an unprecedented collection of world-class amenities for future residents, including a 20,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art fitness centre that will feature yoga rooms, spin rooms, saunas and high-end fitness equipment. Other amenities in the towers will include a rooftop pool, outdoor lounge areas and grilling stations, co-working and social areas, and a golf simulator lounge. Residents of Pickering City Centre will also enjoy the lush interior courtyards that connect to the network of greenspaces, accessed at the doorstep of many of the at-grade amenities.

CentreCourt is also unveiling plans for a “Virtual Clinic” provided by the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. This marks the first amenity of its kind in Canada to be offered in a master-planned condominium community, allowing all residents at Pickering City Centre to connect with a Cleveland Clinic Canada clinician and receive a diagnosis or referral without needing to leave their building.

Transformational projects

“We are excited to bring high-quality and convenient healthcare directly to residents and support the innovative lifestyle that the Pickering City Centre offers,” says Michael Kessel, president and CEO, Cleveland Clinic Canada.

“As the Mayor of Pickering, I’m thrilled to help launch this transformative project that will be a major step forward towards reimagining and revitalizing our downtown,” adds Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe. “This signature development, located in the heart of our city centre, will bring the density where it should be. We envision a dynamic, walkable, sustainable and connected destination that will become a bustling downtown node, welcoming visitors, commuters and residents alike. We believe that a community cannot be complete without a thriving downtown, and this project will be the key to fulfilling that vision. With our iconic pedestrian bridge seamlessly linking our downtown to the GO station, we aim to attract more visitors and workers to come to Pickering and experience the vibrant energy of our city centre.”

Known for its leadership on transformational projects such as the Transit City (at the VMC masterplan community in Vaughan), CentreCourt has gained a reputation for developing highrise residential communities in proximity to major amenities, transit and employment hubs across the GTA. Pickering City Centre continues this trend, with unmatched access to high-order transit, including Hwy. 401 and a direct connection to the Pickering GO Station (taking commuters to Toronto’s Union station in less than 40 minutes).

To learn more, visit pickeringcitycentre.com.