North York Centre

North York City Centre, sometimes known as Downtown North York, is a central business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the district of North York. Located within the official neighbourhood of Willowdale along Yonge Street, between Sheppard and Finch Avenues, the city centre was developed following the opening of the eponymous rapid transit station by the former city of North York, where many corporate headquarters were located. Following the amalgamation of North York by the City of Toronto Act amendment in 1997, North York City Centre became the largest of four central business districts in the city outside Downtown Toronto.HistoryThe area along Yonge Street, between Sheppard and Finch Avenues, was chosen by Mel Lastman, former mayor of North York, to be developed into a central business district. Lastman was inspired by developments in Scarborough City Centre following the completion of the Scarborough line, and convinced the Toronto Transit Commission to construct North York Centre, an infill station completed in 1987 on the Yonge–University line. An official plan by the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto encouraged high-density commercial and residential developments in the area.