In its ongoing effort to develop a downtown core, the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ont., recently announced the launch of M City, a 10-tower, 15-acre, 4.3 million sf master-planned community that, when completed, will cost C$1.5 billion (US$1.118 billion).
Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2018.
This project represents the first residential condominium project undertaken by the private holding company Rogers Real Estate Development Ltd. The Rogers family controls Rogers Communications, Canada’s second-largest communications and media conglomerate.
Urban Capital Property Group, a leading condo developer, will manage the development of M City’s first phase for Rogers. New York-based Cooper Robertson designed the master plan for M City. “The opportunity with M City was to define the western edge of downtown. That was our goal as we planned a walkable, sustainable mixed-use community that emphasizes the public realm,” says Donald Clinton, a Partner with Cooper Robertson. Other Building team members include Reed Jones Christoffersen (SE), Smith + Anderson (ME and EE), and The Planning Partnership (landscape architect). Rogers had not disclosed the GC on this project at presstime.
The first phase of M City will feature a 51-story residential tower, whose undulating design by CORE Architects rotates seven floor plates in repetition as it ascends. Cecconi Simone will be that building’s interior designer.
The first phase will comprise between 500 and 700 of the 6,000 condo units that M City will ultimately make available at prices ranging from C$200,000 to C$750,000, according to M City’s website. When completed, M City will also offer retail space at grade, and more than two acres of new public parks with European-style outdoor patio spaces.
“It is our hope that M City acts as a catalyst for the continued evolution of Mississauga’s downtown,” says Edward Rogers, deputy chairman of Rogers Communications. “It’s why we have taken on the challenge of developing this property.
The M City development will include 2 million sf of open and park spaces. Image: Norm Li
The land on which M City will sit is part of 43 hectares (106 acres) of farmland that Rogers’ founder Ted Rogers purchased in the 1960s for around C$170,000 to position transmitters for his radio station CHFI. Those transmitters were relocated in the 1990s, and the land that hadn’t been sold off was rezoned in 2002 to allow for mixed-use development.
M City residents will be within walking distances of Square One Shopping Centre, Sheridan College, Mississauga Celebration Square, and the Mississauga Central Public Library. The area is also accessible to MiWay Transit, GO Transit, Highway 403 and the QEW. M City’s signature tower will be next to the downtown loop of a future C$1.3 billion, 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) light-rail system, for which permits were issued in 2015.
Toronto in general, and Mississsauga in particular, are going through transitions. Bloomberg reports that home prices in Toronto have doubled in the last decade, spurring record land transactions and development. Low-rise home prices of about C$700,000 ($530,000) are pushing residents to nearby cities and suburbs and into condominiums offering more affordable options.
[Editor's note: Certain members of this project's Building Team were added to the story after its initial posting.]
Related Stories
| Nov 15, 2013
Metal makes its mark on interior spaces
Beyond its long-standing role as a preferred material for a building’s structure and roof, metal is making its mark on interior spaces as well.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Nov 8, 2013
Net-zero bellwether demonstrates extreme green, multifamily style
The 10-unit zHome in Issaquah Highlands, Wash., is the nation’s first net-zero multifamily project, as certified this year by the International Living Future Institute.
| Nov 6, 2013
Dallas’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 advances with second phase of green codes
Dallas stands out as one of the few large cities that is enforcing a green building code, with the city aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030.
| Oct 30, 2013
15 stellar historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects
The winners of the 2013 Reconstruction Awards showcase the best work of distinguished Building Teams, encompassing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations and additions.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 25, 2013
$3B Willets Points mixed-use development in New York wins City Council approval
The $3 billion Willets Points plan in New York City that will transform 23 acres into a mixed-use development has gained approval from the City Council.
| Oct 23, 2013
Gehry, Foster join Battersea Power Station redevelopment
Norman Foster and Frank Gehry have been selected to design a retail section within the £8 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in London.
| Oct 18, 2013
Meet the winners of BD+C's $5,000 Vision U40 Competition
Fifteen teams competed last week in the first annual Vision U40 Competition at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco. Here are the five winning teams, including the $3,000 grand prize honorees.
