The Yonge and Steeles area isn't waiting for shovels to hit the ground for the new Yonge North Subway Extension to get a jump on vertical growth, with several large-scale proposals currently in the works on both the Toronto and York Region sides of the northern city limit.

Among the major projects contributing to this vast new skyline at the city's edge, developer Gupta Group has been advancing plans to redevelop its lands at the northwest corner of Yonge and Steeles for over five years.

The developer submitted applications with the City of Vaughan back in August 2018 for their 7028 Yonge property, proposing a three-tower plan containing condos, a hotel, office, retail, and a community centre all built above the future Steeles Station on the TTC's Line 1.

Current buildings on-site include a standalone KFC fast food drive-thru, a Staples location, and a small retail plaza, all of which would be demolished to make way for this massive injection of density.

The latest chapter in this planning and approvals saga went public this past summer when a refined plan was resubmitted to city planners, bringing the enormous project a step closer to reality.

Gupta's current proposal calls for a trio of mixed-use towers with heights of 50, 56, and 65 storeys and designs by architects Arcadis.

Residential space represents the majority of the floor area, with a proposed 130,529 square metres of residential, including 1,866 condominium units and corresponding amenity spaces.

A hotel component would occupy 15,342 square metres of space within the lower floors of the 56- and 65-storey towers at the south edge of the site. A total of 240 hotel rooms are planned for the site.

Locals lamenting the loss of the smaller independent retailers within the plaza at the corner will be pleased to learn that the new towers would introduce a sizeable retail component of 5,245 square metres, along with 1,880 square metres of office space along the Yonge Street frontage offering further employment uses.

Area residents would also benefit from a planned 1,545 square metres of community space within the podium of the 50-storey tower.

Another perk for locals will be the two planned privately-owned (but publicly-accessible) spaces that will offer a combined 1,756 square metres of outdoor public space.

The proposal also accommodates a possible future secondary entrance to the planned Steeles subway station.

Despite the planned subway stop just a few years away, the developers have proposed a sprawling four-level underground garage that would add a whopping 863 cars to local roads if approved — a reminder that while Toronto is literally across the street, this is still a Vaughan development.

Just next door to the north and west, a plan is in the works to redevelop the flanking properties, which include the original location of Galleria Supermarket.