The future of the Woodbine Racetrack lands was mapped out Tuesday, amid hopes that this development will go forward unlike past attempts.

Woodbine’s privately owned 275-hectare site will “continue to be the ultimate destination for horse racing and gaming” with 81 hectares devoted to horse racing operations, according to a news release. But it will also include “entertainment and cultural offerings, food and dining, hotel, shopping, office space, post-secondary education, recreation, health, wellness, and urban residential living.”

The development, led by Woodbine Entertainment Group in collaboration with others, will be a “city within a city.” It has been divided into phases, said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group. The first phase will include the expanded gaming district, along with entertainment and hospitality venues.

But similar development attempts have been made in the past.

In 2013, a Baltimore developer scrapped plans for Woodbine Live!, a massive shopping and entertainment complex.

Hopes of replacing Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation slot machines at Woodbine with a full casino were also dashed that year when council rejected that along with a downtown casino. But council later reconsidered, opening the door to a casino by a 25-19 vote amid fears for the track’s future.

OLG is currently seeking a private sector service provider to operate the Slots at Woodbine Racetrack site and to propose an expanded entertainment development, consistent with the City of Toronto’s conditions. The private sector provider is expected to be named in September, Lawson said.

The gaming expansion, Lawson said, is one of the reasons he believes the development will succeed, as it is “the trigger needed to generate a lot of excitement and economic activity around Rexdale, in an area that needs it.”

Woodbine is also in a good position for development, according to Lawson, with the potential for more public transportation in the area, including talks of Pearson International Airport becoming a mega hub.

Lawson said a “shovel could be in the ground” as early as the end of 2018.

“As a result of our previous activity on the property, we’re further ahead in the game because we’ve done a lot of the studies that are required,” Lawson said.

With the development, Lawson said they expect visitor numbers to rise from about six million a year to 12 to 14 million. This increase will help “make sure the horse business thrives for the next 20, 30 years,” Lawson said.

“We can get those visitors coming for food and beverage and entertainment to say ‘Let’s go over to the horse race. I’ve never been to a horse race before.’ ”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Ward 2 Councillor Michael Ford said he is “completely on board” with this project which he believes ‘is vital to the health and prosperity of Etobicoke North and the city of Toronto.”

“It’s a substantial investment in jobs for the community,” Ford said. “It’s an incredibly well-rounded development that will serve not only the residents of northern Etobicoke but across our city and region.”

Read more about: