Main Street Unionville Is Back — The Restoration Is Complete and Summer 2026 Is Going to Be Huge

After nearly a year of construction, lane closures, detours, and the resilience-testing disruption that comes with doing major infrastructure work on a heritage streetscape, Main Street Unionville is back. Fully. And Summer 2026 is shaping up to be the most exciting season this historic corridor has seen in years.

Main Street Unionville reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic between Carlton Road and south of the railway tracks as of December 23, 2025. Major construction under Phase 3 is now complete. The project relined water mains and storm sewers to prevent leaks, blockages, and long-term structural issues, while above ground the street was rebuilt using interlocking brick pavers designed to reflect the historic look and feel of Main Street Unionville.

Mayor Frank Scarpitti described the project as a significant transformation for the area, balancing infrastructure renewal with heritage preservation. The city and the Unionville BIA are planning a grand reopening in the spring, along with a series of events throughout 2026.

Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, has watched Unionville's market closely throughout the restoration — and what he sees now that the street is open tells a compelling story for buyers, sellers, and anyone who loves this neighbourhood.

What Was Actually Built — The Infrastructure Investment

The restoration was not a cosmetic refresh. It was a comprehensive modernization of aging underground infrastructure beneath one of Ontario's most beloved heritage streetscapes — work deferred for decades that could not be put off any longer without risking the long-term viability of the street's utility systems.

Key components included relining of watermains and storm sewers to enhance structural integrity and prevent blockages, full reconstruction of the roadway with interlocking brick pavers to maintain heritage character, installation and rehabilitation of concrete curbs and gutters to improve drainage, and increased tree canopy with strategically planted trees. A modern addition also arrived: public Wi-Fi — the first time the City of Markham has introduced public Wi-Fi in an outdoor location not tied to a municipal building.

The interlocking brick pavers are a particularly meaningful aesthetic decision — they replace standard asphalt with a surface that reflects the 19th-century character of the street and visually signals to visitors that they are entering somewhere special.

The 2026 Event Calendar — Summer on Main Street

The Unionville Festival returns to its full scale in 2026, made even more special by the completion of the Main Street Restoration. Expect live music, local craft vendors, great food, the beloved parade, and the everyone's-welcome atmosphere the festival has been known for since 1969. The festival is free.

Additional events planned for Main Street Unionville throughout 2026 include:

• The Unionville Festival back on Main Street
• The Markham Indy festival
• The Markham Jazz Festival
• Thursday Night at the Bandstand
• The Plein Air Painting Festival celebrating the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Main Street Unionville
• Christmas 2026 celebrations

The official grand reopening celebration was scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026, featuring free family activities and honouring retired sportscaster Joe Bowen.

For context: the 2025 Unionville Festival was held at reduced scale at Crosby Park — away from Main Street — because of construction. The 2026 edition is the full return, with the parade, the stage, the vendors, the historic setting, and a street that has never looked better as its backdrop.

What the Restoration Means for Unionville Real Estate

The restoration's impact on Unionville real estate values operates through two channels that compound each other.

Direct property value impact: The improved physical environment — better streetscape, expanded tree canopy, modern underground infrastructure that prevents the service disruptions that plagued the old system — makes Unionville a more attractive and reliable destination. Commercial rents will stabilize and potentially increase as foot traffic returns. Residential properties near Main Street benefit from the improved amenity quality directly.

Event-driven economic momentum: The return of a full Unionville Festival, Markham Jazz Festival, Plein Air Festival, and Thursday Night at the Bandstand to a freshly restored Main Street — in the same summer that IndyCar arrives in Downtown Markham — creates a tourism and lifestyle narrative that translates directly into buyer interest. When buyers come to Unionville for the festival and see the restored street, the heritage character, and the quality of the neighbourhood, some of them start thinking about living here. That buyer interest is the engine of property value.

🏆 Michael John Lau — Awards & Recognition