Toronto’s largest redevelopment property has a new name: Northcrest Developments has selected YZD as the branding for the series of communities it is developing on the 370-acre former Downsview Airport lands.
YZD is the call sign by which the former east-end Toronto airport was known in aviation circles, and was selected to pay homage to the site’s history. The name and branding were unveiled during the weekend at Northcrest’s annual community event, Play on the Runway, which was cut short by a series of thunderstorms.
Under Northcrest’s leadership, the sprawling property is to be transformed into seven neighbourhoods over the next 30 years.
In recent months, Toronto council unanimously approved a new Secondary Plan for the Downsview area and the Bombardier aircraft manufacturing operations were moved to a new facility at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
This sets the stage for one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in North America.
“With these exciting milestones achieved, now’s the perfect moment to give the site a new identity. YZD was a name our team kept coming back to; it perfectly represents a new chapter in the storied legacy of the Downsview Airport,” Derek Goring, CEO at Northcrest, said in the announcement. “As a once-in-a-lifetime city-building opportunity in North America, we recognize the power of a name to shape an international destination.
“As we move ahead, we’re eager to see this site evolve into a lively place for living, gathering, culture and work.”
The development plan for YZD
YZD is to ultimately be home to over 55,000 residents in 28 million square feet of residential space. The communities are also to include seven million square feet of commercial and cultural spaces, and nearly 74 acres of parks, green and open spaces including a reimagined two-kilometre Runway.
While the developers plan to provide each neighbourhood with a distinct character, they will share amenities, public spaces and community infrastructure while prioritizing walkability, transit connectivity and sustainable design.
The logo and brand colours for YZD are inspired by airport stencilling.
“The logo features vivid shades of blue, reminiscent of bright blue skies. The Z features a diagonal graphic element in its centre that symbolizes the heart of the site: The Runway, which will be reimagined into a pedestrian street and dynamic community space,” the announcement states. “This visual element, at a 54° angle, demonstrates momentum upwards, connoting exploration, innovation and possibility.”
About Northcrest, and what’s next at YZD
Following the approval of Northcrest’s plans for YZD, the first neighbourhood, known as The Hangar District, is under planning review.
This fall, Northcrest is set to unveil the new Experience Centre and Plaza at 34 Hanover Rd., which will serve as a much-needed community hub and programming space.
Northcrest Developments, a Toronto-based real estate developer and wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (“PSP”), one of Canada’s largest pension investment managers, is leading the planning and redevelopment of YZD.
