Ontario Construction News staff level
Mississauga City council has endorsed the final recommendations report of the Reimagining the Mall project, a multi-year study that examined land use policies at six local mall sites and the areas surrounding them.
An Official Plan Amendment, one of the report’s recommendations, also received council support.
“Times are changing, and so is the nature of the traditional retail market,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “As our city grows, evolves and intensifies, we need to have the right policies in place to guide us as we work to build complete communities.:
Crombie also thanked residents, businesses, developers and mall owners that participated in this consultation process.
“You are helping us make progress on our middle income housing strategy, and our goal of ensuring Mississauga remains within reach for all,” she said.
The Reimagining the Mall study, which began in September 2017, looked at:
- Meadowvale Town Centre – 6677 Meadowvale Town Centre Circ.
- Erin Mills Town Centre – 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy.
- South Common Centre – 2150 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W.
- Sheridan Centre – 2225 Erin Mills Pkwy.
- Rockwood Mall – 4141 Dixie Rd.
- Westwood Square – 7205 Goreway Dr.
The project included substantial community engagement, analysis of existing conditions, review of best practices, creation of development concepts and testing those concepts with the community.
“Our goal was to develop a new policy framework to enable the successful redevelopment of the city’s mall-based nodes into vibrant, mixed-use communities,” said Andrew Whittemore, commissioner of planning and building.
“The potential for future redevelopment presents significant opportunities for city-building and managing growth. The Official Plan Amendment is the implementation step that was needed to put the new planning policies into place.”
All six malls anchor either a major node or community node identified in the Mississauga Official Plan. They are identified as areas that are appropriate for intensification, including new residents and jobs.
New policies address:
- Maintenance of retail function
- Intensification targetsMaximum building height and Floor Space Index
- Affordable housing
- Maximum block sizes and streets
- Development Master Plans
- Environmental Sustainability
Reimagining the Mall was led by the City of Mississauga in partnership with the Region of Peel and included a consultant team led by Gladki Planning Associates and supported by DTAH and urbanMetrics, provided specialized expertise in land use planning, policy development, urban design, and finance.