GTA to Undergo Transformative Project: Woodbine Live!

The GTA’s northwest corner will soon be home to a massive retail and entertainment development guaranteed to put Rexdale on the map.

In a bid to create a regional destination, Canada’s largest horseracing operator, Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), and Baltimore-based The Cordish Company are developing Woodbine Live! - the GTA’s largest private sector tourism development, with an estimated investment in excess of $1 billion.

For venerable U.S. developer The Cordish Company, Woodbine Live! was an opportunity that had to be seized.

“It’s rare, to have as many positive factors as there are here including the ability to work with the city and build spiritual partnerships. We are struck by the fact that there were 400-heactares of raw land; to us that was pretty incredible,” says vice-president of The Cordish Company, Blake Cordish. “We’re very selective in the projects that are taken on. We get a lot of phone calls and we turn down nine out of ten. We’re fortunate that we can be selective.”

The Cordish Company is one of the largest U.S. developers specializing in a range of projects from lifestyle, outlet and community shopping centres, to gaming, sports, media and film projects.

The expertise of their work and the grandeur of this site were likely among the motivational reasons that had councillors forego $120-million in new property taxes over 20 years -the most generous tax relief Toronto has granted.

The fifth of the Live! projects, Woodbine is expected to be a launching pad for substantial job growth in and around the area with a projected 5,000 construction jobs and 9,000 permanent positions.

“To us, it’s common sense to hire people who live close by,” says Cordish.

The company is reputed for developing retail and entertainment projects within areas that are deemed below economic par.

For example, Paradise Live! is located in Hollywood, FL, once considered a challenging retail node. Currently, it’s the second most visited entertainment site, behind Disney World, and is considered south Florida’s ultimate entertainment destination. The site features 12 restaurants, 10 night clubs and lounges, 22 high-end boutiques, a Native American museum, a 6,000 seat Hard Rock Live! music venue and a water theatre attraction.

Woodbine Live! is projected to be the next Hollywood, attracting legions of people to Rexdale. It is estimated that 20-million people will visit annually.

Considering its strategic location, this figure should prove easily achievable. The site is conveniently located just minutes away from Pearson International Airport, and adjacent to Highways 401, 427, 403, 407, 409, 400, the Q.E.W. and the Gardiner Expressway. As many as 500,000 vehicles pass daily and over seven million people live within a 40-mile radius. In addition, the site is less than 10-miles away from the heart of downtown Toronto and one third of the Canadian population lives within 100-miles.

A mélange of activity will appeal to a broad demographic, including offices,residences, shops, restaurants, a cinema complex, a 6,000-seat concert hall, a four-star hotel boasting 600 rooms, a 100,000 sq. ft. conference centre, clubs, pubs, canals and a skating rink.

The site will comprise six entertainment and retail districts and four neighbourhoods, creating one entertainment destination.

“Woodbine Live! touches on all of our strengths,” says Cordish.

The Broadway District will be positioned as the ultimate destination, evoking a sensory experience reminiscent of Broadway or Las Vegas. The district will feature a one-of-a kind 600 luxury room hotel, be home to more than 300 horse races annually and incorporate 60,000 sq. ft. of gaming, including 2,000 slots, operational around the clock.

The Live! district will please any pop culturalist with 180 free live concerts and entertainment event series presented within a premier outdoor facility. An active nightlife will surround the area with clubs and lounges catering to young adults.

The Ice Park Plaza District will be synonymous with family fun, complete with two, 150-room boutique-inspired hotels, an outdoor skating rink and canal, year-round seasonal sculpture and public artwork to accentuate the space, outdoor fireplaces allowing patrons to retreat from the gelid winters, plus premier sporting and lifestyle retailers that will highlight the area.

The Galleria District, situated near the Ice Park Canal, will feature a Milanese-style galleria complete with the trendiest names in designer lifestyle shopping, quaint cafés, upbeat lounges and bars.

The Euro-Fashion District will evoke a contemporary, European feel with an outdoor café, high-end bistros and upscale boutiques projecting avant-garde facades.

The Market District will serve as the grand entrance to the racetrack and casino situated amid the existing Woodbine playground. Passerbys will be able to get up close and personal with the horses in the walking circle. In addition, there will be two large open market pavilions and a terraced plaza to accommodate seasonal vendors, live performers and entertainers year-round.

Woodbine Live! will be the quintessential one-stop hot spot. As part of Phase II, approximately 3,000 residential units are planned that will combine townhouses, lofts and mid-rise housing in a private residential setting anchored by a town square. Amenity shopping and pedestrian walkways will line the area, ensuring easy access to all of the districts. One million square feet of office space are also in the plans.

Although not entirely firm, construction of the project is lated to commence in 2009 through 2011 and is likely to stand as the pinnacle of future entertainment, gaming and retail destinations to come.