People oppose shopping plaza conversion into residential development in Mississauga

More than 700 residents have signed a petition opposing the potential conversion of a Mississauga plaza into a mixed-use residential area.

The City of Mississauga and the Region of Peel are looking at three pieces of land for a possible change from “employment lands” to “sensitive uses”, which would allow for residential development.

The three properties are known as sites 1, 2 and 3. Site 1, at Argentia Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard in Mississauga, is currently home to a SmartCentre Plaza and the subject of a petition.

Sites 2 and 3 are along Burnhamthrope Road West, west of Mavis Road, and are also SmartCentre properties.

Employment lands are normally set aside for industry and commercial uses such as shops, services and restaurants.

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It is important to keep land reserved for employment activities as it contributes significantly to the city’s economic base, the City of Mississauga notes. Residents need places to work as well as to live.

But at the same time, Ontario’s Build More Homes Faster Act has set a goal for 120,000 new homes in Mississauga over the next ten years.

And SmartCentres has plans to transform its shopping plazas across Canada into mixed-use residential properties.

“Today, Canadians need transit-connected homes with urban amenities,” SmartCentres notes in a presentation at a community meeting in September. “So, SmartCentres is evolving from ‘Shopping Centres to City Centres’ and SmartLiving has emerged with a $16 billion transformation plan to enhance Canadian communities.”

They are now following a trend, happening at shopping centres such as Dixie Mall and Sheridan Centre, to develop residential communities.

But not everyone agrees with this move.

A petition launched recently opposes residential development at the SmartCentre plaza at 3150 and 3155 Argentia Rd.

“We, as concerned residents, strongly oppose the proposed conversion of Site 1 from a commercial/retail site to sensitive uses, including residential development,” the petition reads.

Concerns about the change include potential retail displacement, alteration of neighbourhood character and community cohesion, traffic and congestion, stress on community resources and infrastructure.

As of Nov. 1, the petition had just over 760 signatures of its 1,000 signature goal.

Several people expressed their concerns over the possible change.

“This is where we do our groceries and other retail purchases … we also purchased our home because it was close to this retail Centre …. It’s a very important part of our daily life,” one resident wrote.

“Thats the closest & best area for shopping. I don’t want to have residential area around that,” another person wrote.

In their presentation, SmartCentre points out that they aim to create a mixed-use community and plan to retain some of the large and medium-sized retail shops on the sites.

A similar transformation is proposed for a SmartCentre plaza in Brampton.

For more information on the plans see the City of Mississauga’s Have Your Say site here. To learn about the petition, click here.