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
Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2015
California Supreme Court upholds affordable housing requirements
Court cites affordable housing crisis of ‘epic proportions.’
High-rise Construction | Jul 7, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs Frankfurt skyscraper with a surprise in the middle
Several levels in the center of the 185-meter tower are shifted outward to allow for terraces with city views.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 1, 2015
Baby boomers—not Millennials—will drive demand for apartments long term, according to U.S. Fed study
The volatile U.S. multifamily housing market has returned to pre-recession investment levels, driven largely by Millennials putting off home-buying and settling for rentals, but in the long term it will be baby boomers that will drive the market as they downsize.
High-rise Construction | Jun 23, 2015
The world's best new skyscrapers for 2015
One World Trade Center and Abu Dhabi's Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower are among the four towers named Best Tall Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 22, 2015
MAD Architects unveils first U.S. residential project, in Beverly Hills
The “hillside village” edifice will be covered in drought-tolerant vines and succulents.
High-rise Construction | Jun 15, 2015
Cornell Tech breaks ground on world's first Passive House residential high-rise
To achieve Passive House standards, Cornell Tech Residential will incorporate a number of sustainability-focused design elements. The façade, constructed of a prefabricated metal panel system, acts as a thermally insulated blanket wrapping the building structure.
Wood | Jun 2, 2015
Michael Green Architecture designs world's tallest wood building for Paris competition
“Just as Gustave Eiffel shattered our conception of what was possible a century and a half ago, this project can push the envelope of wood innovation with France in the forefront," said architect Michael Green of the project.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 1, 2015
Sacramento moves forward on multifamily project with new modular supplier
Guerdon Modular Buildings will provide modules for 118 apartments.
Multifamily Housing | May 30, 2015
Fannie Mae offers incentives for energy, water efficiency in multifamily buildings
Owners of apartment buildings and cooperatives may be eligible for loans with reduced interest rates for upgrades that reduce their energy or water consumption by at least 20%, under a new Fannie Mae refinancing program.
Multifamily Housing | May 30, 2015
Energy Department releases resources to assess building energy benchmarking policies, programs
The new handbook demonstrates methodologies using real data from New York City.