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
| May 30, 2014
MIT researchers create 'home in a box' transformable wall system for micro apartments
Dubbed CityHome, the system integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems into a compact wall unit.
| May 30, 2014
Developer will convert Dallas' storied LTV Building into mixed-use residential tower
New Orleans-based HRI Properties recently completed the purchase of one of the most storied buildings in downtown Dallas. The developer will convert the LTV Building into a mixed-use complex, with 171 hotel rooms and 186 luxury apartments.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 29, 2014
Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings
The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada.
| May 28, 2014
Moshe Safdie's twin residential towers in Singapore will be connected by 'sky pool' 38 stories in the air [slideshow]
Moshe Safdie's latest project, a pair of 38-story luxury residential towers in Singapore, will be linked by three "sky garden" bridges, including a rooftop-level bridge with a lap pool running the length between the two structures.
| May 27, 2014
America's oldest federal public housing development gets a facelift
First opened in 1940, South Boston's Old Colony housing project had become a symbol of poor housing conditions. Now the revamped neighborhood serves as a national model for sustainable, affordable multifamily design.
| May 23, 2014
Big design, small package: AIA Chicago names 2014 Small Project Awards winners
Winning projects include an events center for Mies van der Rohe's landmark Farnsworth House and a new boathouse along the Chicago river.
| May 22, 2014
No time for a trip to Dubai? Team BlackSheep's drone flyover gives a bird's eye view [video]
Team BlackSheep—devotees of filmmaking with drones—has posted a fun video that takes viewers high over the city for spectacular vistas of a modern architectural showcase.
| May 22, 2014
NYC's High Line connects string of high-profile condo projects
The High Line, New York City's elevated park created from a conversion of rail lines, is the organizing principle for a series of luxury condo buildings designed by big names in architecture.
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.