Ground broken for Mississauga’s $1.5 billion ‘M City’ development

By Building On May 29, 2018

Developer Edward Rogers and Mayor Bonnie Crombie kicked off the beginning of construction for Phase One and Two of Mississauga’s new master planned community, M City. Crowds gathered as shovels hit the ground on the future site located on the corner of Burnhamthorpe Road. and Confederation Parkway.

Defining the western edge of Mississauga’s skyline, both flagship towers will anchor the highly anticipated legacy project by Rogers Real Estate Development Limited, a private holding company owned by the Rogers family. In development since 2007, the firm enlisted Urban Capital Property Group to manage the process of turning the sprawling 15 acre site – a long held family asset site – into a defining catalyst in Mississauga’s transformation.

“In the last few years especially, we’ve seen Mississauga not only undergo incredible transformation, but embrace it. M City shares the city’s vision to create a vibrant downtown core that prioritizes parkland, public space and walkability,” says Edward Rogers, Chairman of Rogers Communications Inc. “ The Rogers family has close ties with the city’s past and we are thrilled to help contribute towards building its future.”

Aligning with the city’s own Downtown21 Master Plan, the site was meticulously planned to create a walkable, sustainable mixed-use community that emphasizes the public realm.

“The City of Mississauga is working to build a complete city with a vibrant downtown core, a place where people can live, work, earn an education and enjoy an unrivalled quality of life – all within their community. Building investments like M City help strengthen our City’s tax base and allow us to fund important priorities we all rely on including libraries, community centres and public transit,” says Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “I’m pleased to be breaking ground today at M City, a development inspired by our City’s Downtown21 Master Plan, our blueprint to create a more liveable, downtown core that is home to public spaces, educational institutions, a vast public transit network, walkable streets, and intensified residential and commercial developments.”

Assembling a team of world-class planning and design experts, Rogers Real Estate Development Limited and Urban Capital brought in leading Canadian-firms CORE Architects and Cecconi Simone to handle building design and interiors. New York-based urban design firm Cooper Robertson was brought on board to reimagine the 15 acres as a truly liveable community. The site’s new framework will extend existing city streets on a unique, angular plane to create a fine-grained network of blocks, enabling a pedestrian-friendly environment, while typical residential blocks will provide two-way roads with on-street parking, generous sidewalks and residential frontages.

M City ground breaking, M City ground breaking, (L-R) Eric Hixon, Martha Rogers, John Anderton, Vice President, Treasurer, Rogers Private Companies, Andrew Whittemore, Planning Commissioner, City of Mississauga, Edward Rogers, Chairman, Rogers Communications Inc., Mayor Bonnie Crombie, City of Mississauga, Loretta Anne Rogers, Councillor Nando Iannicca, Ward 7, Alan Horn, President & Chief Executive Officer, Rogers Private Companies, Mark Reeve, Partner, Urban Capital. Photo by Geoff Fitzgerald

“We are excited to begin construction on a defining project in Mississauga’s transformation,” says Urban Capital Property Group Partner, Mark Reeve. “M City will be the western gateway into the city – a responsibility we did not enter into lightly. Together with Rogers Real Estate Development Ltd, we brought a team of world-class experts to create a legacy project that reflects the values of Mississauga’s next generation – ambitious, forward-thinking and enthusiastic for change.”

Renderings courtesy of Rogers / Urban Capital