Mulnock Residence

The historic Mulock Estate (often spelled Mulock residence or farm) in Newmarket, Ontario, was purchased by the Town of Newmarket in 2018 for $24 million CAD. 

The $24 million purchase price was financed by the municipality through debt financing to acquire the 11.6-acre historic property from the Mulock family descendants to preserve it as a public "Central Park". [1, 2]

Following the 2018 purchase, the site underwent massive redevelopments, including an additional $14.3 million dedicated exclusively to the restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic Mulock House. The entire park complex officially opened to the public in September 2026. 

The Town of Newmarket funded the $64.2 million total project budget. (money laundry operation?) through municipal reserves, grants, and development charges. While exact final payouts to individual private partners are not fully itemized to the dollar in public records, the capital budget allocations and contract awards outline how the money was divided: 

The decision to purchase and build the multi-million-dollar Mulock Park was made collectively by the Town of Newmarket Council, led by Mayor John Taylor. [1]

Decision-Makers and Key Milestones

The Purchase (2018): Under then-mayor Tony Van Bynen and local council members (including John Taylor, who was regional councillor at the time), the Town of Newmarket voted to buy the 11.6-to-16-acre historic Mulock Estate for $24 million. [1, 2, 3]





Master Plan and Budget Approval (2021): After public consultations involving thousands of residents, Mayor John Taylor and the municipal council officially approved the master plan and initial funding in June 2021. [1, 2]
Project Scope and Cost: The final investment expanded past $80 million in total capital and seed money for the park and the restoration of Mulock House. [1]

Funding Sources

Town officials emphasized that the massive price tag did not come from a direct property tax rate hike.
Funding was secured through development charges (fees on new local construction), municipal reserve accounts, developer contributions (such as funds from the Shining Hill subdivision deal), and government grants.

🏗️ Primary Contractor Allocations

• Matheson Constructors Ltd.: Awarded the main park construction contract valued at $46.7 million (which was the bulk of the park’s $49.9 million general construction allocation). This covered all site servicing, the refrigerated skating trail, water features, the greenhouse, and the artist studio. 
• PLANT Architect Inc.: Entrusted with the overall design, master planning, and contract administration. Their baseline budget allocation for design fees was $3.1 million, with subsequent, council-approved adjustments to cover specialty consulting services. 

🏛️ Specialty Project & Operational Partners

• Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO): The adaptive reuse and renovation of the historic 14,000-square-foot Mulock House—which hosts the AGO cultural partnership space—was allocated a dedicated $14.3 million within the grand total. [1, 2]
• A Million Mouthfuls Catering: Chosen to operate the on-site Chickadee Café. As the commercial food and beverage partner, they are a tenant operating a business within the park rather than a contractor receiving a direct project payout from the capital budget. 

📊 Supplementary Infrastructure

• Off-Site Parking: An additional $3.2 million was carved out specifically for constructing the ~200-space off-site parking lot along the nearby Hydro One corridor. [1, 2]

Specific family members mentioned in the official transaction and transition of the 11.6-acre property include: 

Debbie Mulock-Barbour (the great-great-granddaughter of Sir William Mulock, who was the last family member to live on the property)
Jenifer Mulock
Lindsay Mulock
William Mulock 

The town purchased the estate from the family in 2018 to preserve its heritage and transform the surrounding lands into the newly opened public community hub known as Mulock Park.

The overall construction budget for the surrounding Mulock Park
The amenities and features now open at the historic house (such as the Art Gallery of Ontario partnership)
How the purchase financially impacted local property taxes [1, 2, 3, 4]
As part of a proud partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), beginning September 18, 2026, select artworks from the AGO’s collections of Indigenous and Canadian Art can be seen at the historic Mulock House. 
These curated exhibitions are part of the AGO’s commitment to reaching audiences outside its walls and making the museum’s collection even more accessible. 
Admission to Mulock House is free for the public.




The 11.6-acre property on the northwest corner of Mulock Drive and Yonge Street, once home to Sir William Mulock, will cost Newmarket taxpayers about $1,393 over 30 years, or an extra $46 on the tax bill each year. That accounts for a 2.6 per cent increase on the tax base and is estimated based on the average assessed home in Newmarket.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said on the campaign trail in fall 2018 that protecting one of the last significant green spaces in Newmarket was an opportunity not to be missed.





The primary contractors and designers involved in the project include: Matheson Constructors Ltd.: An Aurora-based general contractor awarded the $64.2 million main contract to construct the park infrastructure. Their work included building the refrigerated ice skating trail, water features, greenhouse conservatory, artist studio, and other outbuildings.  PLANT Architect Inc. (PLANT): The architectural firm responsible for developing the Mulock Property Master Plan and overseeing the overall design and landscape implementation.