Wyview Group Reveals Exciting Plans for the GTA

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is starting to draw the gaze of large international developers, specifically from China. One of which is Wyview Group, and we recently had the very special honour to meet with Chairman, Mr. Wang Wei Xiang, and Vice-President, Ms. Lilin Ye to learn more about their first condo development in the GTA, the company’s history, and their grand master-plan for their Canadian division.

Unionville Gardens site in Markham at Hwy 7 and Village Parkway

Unionville Gardens

Wyview Group’s first project in the GTA, Unionville Gardens, will be located at Hwy 7 and Village Parkway (just east of Warden) in Markham. Phase 1 will feature two eight-storey condo buildings attached by an amenities area. According to Ms. Lilin, there will be a total of 379 condo units. Phase 2 will be comprised of 72 townhomes on the north section of the 10-acre site.

“We have to show that we develop high quality communities,” explained Mr. Wang (Mr. Wang speaks Mandarin, so Ye served as his translator during the interview). “We have to develop a good reputation.” And in order to develop that reputation, Wyview Group teamed up with all of the best in the industry to develop this ambitious Markham project. Tucker HiRise, the construction management company for Unionville Gardens, has built many luxury buildings in the GTA. The architecture firm, Kirkor Architects + Planners, is known for their local and international designs. The interior design firm, II By IV Design, has over 300 awards and has been listed as one of the World’s Top 50 Design Firms. Finally, SBK Landscape Architecture is another well-known award-winning company that is part of the team that’s bringing Unionville Gardens to life.

Wyview Group isn’t just establishing a good reputation, they’re also setting a new standard of condo living in the GTA. “There will be 10’ ceilings on the first, seventh, and eighth floors,” said Wang. “And it’s not just a glass box. It will really stand out.” The exterior design of Unionville Gardens is inspired by luxury boutique hotels in places like London and Hong Kong, so the architectural detailing is high class and elegant.

Rooftop terrace above amenity spaces

Unionville Gardens will also have a wide array of amenities, including ones you’ve come to expect from new condos, such as a fitness centre, lounge, an indoor swimming pool, library, and games room - but there is much more, such as a ping pong room, a mahjong room, and a karaoke room.

The condo suites, ranging from over 500 square feet to 1,200 square feet, boast an incredible selection of features and finishes, like wide plank engineered hardwood flooring, your choice of granite or quartz countertops, ceramic and porcelain tile, designer-selected cabinetry, and deep soaker tubs. The suites are starting from the $200,000s and the presale has already commenced.

“In the Markham area, because there are lots of Asians, especially people right from China, there are many investors,” said Ye. “The new York University campus is going to be located just south of the area, so some of the buyers really like that. Also, Markham is the high tech capital of Canada with over 400 corporate head offices and over 1,000 high tech and life sciences companies. It’s a core area and the investors and end-users really like the conveniences, like the Whole Foods across the street and the good quality schools.”

Unionville Gardens scale model

Wyview Group’s master-plan for the GTA

Unionville Gardens is only the beginning of Wyview Group’s grand master-plan for the GTA. Along the Hwy 7 corridor, east and west of Warden, which Wang calls the “golden area,” Wyview owns five parcels of land. Wang believes it will take 10 to 15 years to develop it all.

Wang refers to this area as the golden area because “of the new York University campus, the high school and elementary schools are well known, the commercial activities, banks, and hotels are all within walking distance, and the master-plan from Markham puts a big investment in that area for the VIVA bus and to widen Hwy 7. You can see the city is investing a lot of money, so everyone likes this area.”

Markham isn't the only city in the GTA in which Wyview plans to develop. Wang gave a few hints about two new, single-tower condo developments planned for the Yonge and Bloor area of Toronto that they will begin developing in 2016. All he could reveal at the moment was that each tower would be about 49 storeys tall, that one of them would be on the north side of Bloor and the other on the south, and that they are investing about $70 million in the two condos. With five pieces of land in Markham and two condo towers planned for downtown Toronto, Wyview Group will be developing over 3,000 residential units in prime GTA locations, and they will definitely become a major player in the region’s new home industry.

Wyview Group Chairman, Mr. Wang Wei Xiang

About Wyview Group

The principals of Wyview Group have been working together in real estate development since 2000, when they got their start in Mainland China. Wang gave us a brief breakdown of the company’s activities over the last 15 years. In 2004, they had developed 5.5 million square feet of industrial rental property in Shanghai, and over the course of the last decade have developed over 4.5 million square feet of residential property (approximately 3,500 units). In 2010, they started their own mortgage business, and 2013 marked the first year that they started development in the GTA and purchased $120 million of land.

To learn more about Unionville Gardens in Markham, visit UnionvilleGardens.com and register!