A proposed Mississauga development could further change the city's ever-evolving skyline with nine new towering condos -- and redefine the meaning of so-called "suburban" living in the process.
Developers The Elia Corporation hopes to construct a new community called Elia Land. Designed by BDP Quadrangle, the development would feature nine new towers partially surrounding the existing Mississauga Marketplace retail plaza, as well as blocks of three-storey townhomes that will feature 120 units.
Image: BDP Quadrangle
If given the green light, the towers will house some 4690 units and would stand 45, 42, 30, and 28 storeys tall, with five of them rising 36 storeys over Mississauga's city centre. The development will also offer ground level commercial space for retail and office use.
Located at 4615 Hurontario -- just southeast of Hurontario and Street and Eglinton Avenue West -- the Mississauga development will sit on 8.5 hectares of vacant land and will be well positioned to take full advantage of the upcoming Hurontario LRT, which is slated for completion in 2024. The 18-kilometre transit line is a centrepiece of transit improvement for Mississauga. With 19 stops, it will connect Brampton Gateway Terminal in the north end of Mississauga with the busy Port Credit GO station along the Lakeshore West line.
Even so, the development has plans for plenty of parking spots. For the total of 4,690 units, a seemingly purpose-defeating 5,429 parking spaces are currently proposed.
Image: BDP Quadrangle
Adding appreciated green space to the neighbourhood, the development concept also includes a proposed 9,065-square-metre municipal park at the northeast corner of Elia Avenue and Sorrento Drive.
According to a recent planning analysis, City of Mississauga staff said that the development would bring 10,383 new residents to the neighbourhood. This is double the current local population, says the City.
Image: BDP Quadrangle
It will be interesting to see whether the influx of new residents is enough to breathe new life into the Mississauga Marketplace plaza, which is comprised of five separate buildings of retail space. The development is one of a handful in Ontario proposed in the immediate vicinity (or right on top) of a shopping centre; Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Ottawa's CF Rideau Centre are both adding residential units to their real estate.
Whether it's enough to bring enough shoppers back into the physical shopping mall remains to be seen.
