Toronto's IBI Group, the design firm working on the Pharrell Williams inspired "untitled" condo slated for Yonge and Eglinton, has been named the design lead for the Hurontario Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Mississauga.
In October, Mobilinx was announced as the winning bidder to design, build, finance, operate and train the Hurontario LRT for a 30-year term. One of the largest infrastructure projects in Ontario, design work has begun and construction will soon follow.
As a public-private partnership contract between Metrolinx and IO, the LRT will be operated and maintained by Mobilinx while publicly owned by Metrolinx.
READ: Pharrell’s ‘Untitled’ Condo Project Looks Spectacular
Developers, businesses and people living and working in Mississauga and Brampton have envisioned some of the major benefits already coming from the Hurontario LRT Line.
“The Hurontario LRT continues to spur economic development along the Hurontario corridor,” Jamie Robinson, Director, Community Relations at Metrolinx.
With completion expected in fall 2024, the 18-kilometre Hurontario Line is a centerpiece of transit improvement for Mississauga. It will have 19 stops, connecting Brampton Gateway Terminal in the north end of Mississauga with the busy Port Credit GO station along the Lakeshore West line.
READ: Here’s What the Brampton-Mississauga Hurontario LRT Line Will Look Like
The IBI Group will lead the design team, with work beginning immediately.
Music superstar Williams and IBI are collaborating on the new two-tower, residential development at Yonge and Eglinton with Reserve Properties and Westdale Properties.
Called “untitled,” the project is the result of a multi-faceted design process that saw Williams work with an extended project team, including architects IBI Group and Interior Designers U31, to deliver a new vision for residential living.
Scott Stewart, IBI Group CEO, said that “the awarding of the Hurontario LRT contract marks a significant win for the firm, and further raises the profile of our global transit infrastructure practice.
“We are proud to undertake this assignment alongside the other members of the design team and look forward to more successful collaborations together in the future.”
IBI Group is working in conjunction with the Mobilinx design team (which includes Morrison Hershfield, Arcadis, Daoust Lestage and Exp). Design work will begin now on roadway civil and electrical, streetscape, traffic signals, structures and track plus architectural, stations and stops, OMSF, mechanical, electrical and structural and design excellence.
READ: Crombie Says Mississauga Hurontario LRT Project Is Safe From Cuts
IBI has been working with Mobilinx during the procurement process.
“The IBI team is excited to celebrate this significant win on the three-year anniversary of embarking on our relationship with Mobilinx,” said Kaman Pang, IBI Group design lead. “The collective efforts of IO, Metrolinx and their advisors and stakeholders throughout the procurement process have been truly collaborative, and while the financial close of the contract is a significant milestone, we know that the work is now just beginning, and we are ready to embrace it.”
READ: Agency Of The Year — Gladstone Media
Comprised of 19 stops and its own dedicated lane, the Hurontario LRT will create a fast and convenient ride, and offer connections to the Milton and Lakeshore West GO lines, along with local transit links like MiWay, Brampton Transit, Züm and the IBI-designed Mississauga Transitway.
Metrolinx and IO are delivering the Hurontario LRT via a public-private partnership (P3) contract. While the LRT will be operated and maintained by Mobilinx, it will remain publicly owned by Metrolinx.
