Town invites public input to finalize plans for Midtown Oakville

Tuesday, May 02, 2023
Shaped by community input through many years of planning, the Town of Oakville has released the latest draft of the town-initiated Official Plan Amendment (OPA) for Midtown Oakville. The town invites residents and businesses to provide their input through an online survey and in-person engagement opportunities before the OPA is finalized for Council’s approval.  

The purpose of the proposed OPA is to update the land use policies for Midtown Oakville in the Livable Oakville Plan (Official Plan) to the year 2051, to create a framework that will guide the creation of a transit-supportive and complete community for people to live, work and play.

Midtown Oakville will be the town’s newest urban centre, envisioned as a vibrant urban destination and a people-oriented community. Midtown Oakville will have a mix of housing, community services, and business opportunities close to the Oakville GO station. Midtown Oakville covers approximately 103 hectares bounded by the QEW/Highway 403 to the north, Chartwell Road to the east, Cornwall Road to the south and the Sixteen Mile Creek valley to the west. 

The Province of Ontario currently requires Midtown Oakville be planned to accommodate a minimum of 20,600 people and jobs by 2031 (i.e. 200 people and jobs per hectare). Midtown Oakville, as the key strategic growth area within the town’s council-approved urban structure, is well positioned to accommodate a significant amount of the town’s and Halton Region’s growth to 2051 and beyond. Midtown Oakville is also anticipated to accommodate about a third of the town’s housing pledge target of 33,000 homes by 2031/32.


Engagement opportunities 

 
  • Attend a Public Information Session on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Town Hall to view policies, speak with town planners and have questions answered.  
  • Speak at a Special Planning & Development Council meeting on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. To register as a speaker, email townclerk@oakville.ca by noon the same day. This meeting will be live streamed on the town’s  YouTube channel.  
  • Complete the online survey by Wednesday, May 31, 2023. 
  • Public input received will be shared as part of the final OPA recommended for Town Council’s approval by early summer 2023. 


Six “must-knows” about Midtown Oakville

 
  1. Phased development: Development of Midtown Oakville will happen over the next 30 years and beyond. By 2031, Midtown Oakville could accommodate a minimum of 20,600 people and jobs combined.
  2. Transit connections within and beyond: Midtown Oakville is strategically located near Highway 403/QEW and surrounds the Oakville GO station, which is the second busiest station on the GO network, and is served by Oakville Transit, GO Transit, and VIA rail. Future bus rapid transit is planned for Trafalgar Road. The higher density housing, jobs, and recreational amenities coming to Midtown Oakville will be well connected by transit for easier travel within Midtown Oakville, and to other destinations in Oakville and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
  3. Distinctive skyline: Midtown Oakville will contain a mix of tall and mid-rise buildings. The tallest buildings will be located north of the railway, within walking distance of the Oakville GO Station, and are intended to provide variation in height and architectural character in order to create a distinctive skyline for Midtown Oakville.
  4. Street-level public spaces: To make Midtown Oakville an attractive urban destination, high-quality streetscapes are planned to create a network of open spaces that are walkable, bicycle-friendly, family-friendly, and provide opportunities to socialize.
  5. A complete community: Midtown Oakville will provide a self-sufficient urban living experience for people of all ages where most daily living needs are located within a short walk, bicycle, or transit ride from home. Midtown Oakville will be interwoven by tall and mid-rise buildings, parks and open spaces, multi-use trails, schools, recreational and retail amenities.
  6. Ongoing engagement: The purpose of the current draft OPA is to set the policy framework for Midtown Oakville. There will be future opportunities for the public to provide input on Midtown-specific strategies that will include streetscape, parkland, sustainability and more. Together, the framework and strategies will also help inform future town-wide master plans and developments.

To learn more, visit the Midtown Oakville Growth Area Review page and watch the videos on the town’s YouTube channel


Quotes


“Provincial legislation has designated 25 Urban Growth Centres across Ontario with minimum density targets for each one. Working together we can ensure that Midtown Oakville is Ontario's most livable urban growth centre. Our engaged community has an opportunity to help shape this exciting and historic project. Achieving success in Midtown is essential for our community’s future.”

- Mayor Rob Burton