Vaughan looks to residents to name the new city centre
Every great city has a great downtown area that is the heart and soul of the community. Vaughan is planning its future downtown to be a sustainable community development that will make it a gateway for York Region and for the province. Currently known as the Vaughan Corporate Centre, this is the largest and most ambitious development in the City’s history.
This downtown will be the focal point of Vaughan and will feature the final stop on the Spadina subway expansion. Two billboards have been erected on the north side of Highway 7 west of Jane Street that proclaim: “Start Your Journey in Vaughan.” This downtown development will include businesses, residences, entertainment, and cultural facilities and will allow people to walk or use public transit to get around.
All that is needed now is a great name to reflect the essence of what this downtown area will be like – a name that would capture the energy and the excitement of our City as well as our strong sense of community. The City launched a contest to find the perfect name for the future downtown Vaughan.
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Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco |
The contest ran from February to the end of April. A website was created to encourage online submissions and drop-boxes and entry forms were posted at community centres and libraries and at the Civic Centre. Everyone in Vaughan was encouraged to come up with a name that would showcase the City and represent the vision for the future. The goal was to find a name that would capture the spirit and the excitement of our downtown vision.
The response was overwhelming and has provided a long list of names and ideas to choose from. The selection process has been extended through to the early fall. This will give the Vaughan Corporate Centre Advisory Committee and Council time to make the right decision.
Besides asking for the public’s input for a name for the future downtown, there are a number of community forums for residents to provide their ideas on what this area needs to have to succeed. A marketing plan also has been developed and we are now in the process of gaining input from the various stakeholders on how best to move forward.
This will be your downtown. The ultimate goal is a place where people can live, work and play – a downtown that residents and businesses will be proud to call home.