Milton is one step closer to getting a post-secondary campus.
Town Council approved the Milton Education Village Secondary Plan on Monday.
The Regional Councillor for Milton’s Ward 3, Mike Cluett, says that if built, the MEV will bring more than just Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College to our town.
In a release, the Town of Milton describes the Secondary Plan as “a complete community that blends post-secondary education with a mix of other complementary uses, into a comprehensively planned neighbourhood.” It adds that it “provides for a mix of residential, commercial, retail, institutional and employment uses in a walkable urban district.”
Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz provided a written statement, saying that he’s excited for the future.
“On behalf of Milton Council, I would like to congratulate and thank staff, residents, community groups, local businesses and our post-secondary partners Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College for their continuous support and effort to make the Milton Education Village a reality. The Secondary Plan was developed with, and for, the community. We look forward to seeing this lively innovation district come to life in Milton.”
Regional Councillor for Milton’s Ward 4, Zeeshan Hamid, says both Laurier and Conestoga have been wonderful to deal with during the whole process. The plan has been in the works for over a decade and has faced adversity in the time since. In 2018, when the provincial government was transitioning from the Wynne Liberals to the Ford Conservatives, funding was removed for the project as a cost-cutting measure. Councillor Hamid says that, because of that issue, we still shouldn’t count our eggs before they hatch.
However, the approval of the Secondary Plan is a big step forward for the project. The Town describes the next steps for the project, saying “[it] will now be submitted to Halton Region for approval and the Town of Milton will request a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) from the province to expedite a preliminary phase of development in the core area of the MEV. This first phase will include post-secondary campuses, long-term and hospice care, a high school, a variety of housing choice including affordable and student housing and a village core with a mix of development to promote innovation employment, walkability, transit and the efficient delivery of infrastructure.”
The Milton Education Village is a 400-acre site that is centered on the Mattamy National Cycling Centre – south of Derry Road, west of Tremaine Road and north of Britannia Road, adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment, and located on the innovation corridor. Chief Administrative Officer for the Town, Andrew Siltala, says the MEV has huge employment potential for residents.
“After many years of meaningful land use planning, the Town of Milton is pleased to announce the adoption of the MEV Secondary Plan. Accommodating over 12,803 people and 2,500 knowledge-based jobs, the MEV will foster innovation and promote collaboration, interaction and synergies between the land uses of employment, post-secondary institutions, long-term care and mixed housing.”
You can read the staff report from Monday’s Council meeting here.
