Proposal for 5,300-unit development project moving forward in Mississauga

While Mississauga council has not yet given the green light to a significant development proposal, city staff are recommending that councillors endorse the still-imperfect framework, giving developers a chance to refine the plan further. 

Recently, a 5,300-unit development was proposed for an area of Mississauga that some critics have called “over-stressed.” 

The substantial development, known as Rangeview Estates, is proposed for a piece of land on the south side of Lakeshore Road East, east of Cawthra Road. The official addresses are 850-1083 Rangeview Road and 830-1076 Lakeshore Road East. 

The Rangeview Landowners Group, a consortium of nine landowners that collectively own 21 of the 33 properties within Rangeview Estates, has been working on a master plan that, if approved, will see the construction of more than 5,000 housing units. 

As of now, the site is occupied by a mix of small-scale commercial buildings.

In a report slated to come before Mississauga’s planning and development committee on July 29, city staff are recommending council endorse the Rangeview master plan framework “in accordance with the limitations” outlined by Andrew Whittemore, the city’s commissioner of planning and building. 

In the report, staff write that a council endorsement will allow the developer’s official plan amendment application to be deemed complete and that while only minor revisions have been made to the proposal thus far, the project is “acceptable from a conceptual planning standpoint.” 

The proposal, which was the subject of community meetings (one hosted by Ward 1 Coun. Steven Dasko) in April 2023 and January 2024, has generated some controversy, with some residents saying it’ll increase density too close to the site of the massive Lakeview Village development, which could bring 16,000 units to the area.

Developers have proposed a mixed-use community with a range of low-rise, mid-rise and tall buildings along with 6.47 acres of new parkland, according to a November council report. Ground floor commercial space is proposed along Lakeshore Road East.

The proposal includes 685 townhome units, 1,634 mid-rise units and 2,981 units in tall buildings. This differs from the city’s targets for Rangeview Estates of 925 townhomes, 1,850 mid-rise units and 925 units in tall buildings, according to the report.

Currently, a total of 3,700 units is permitted for the area, so an official plan amendment would be required for the development to proceed as is. 

During a public meeting, residents requested a number of revisions, including the inclusion of a pedestrian promenade on the south side of Lakeshore Road East. Attendees also questioned whether a school would be required to serve new residents, something the Peel District School Board agreed with. 

The staff report suggests the proposal is appropriate for the node of Lakeview it could occupy, adding that it features a good mix of mid-rise elements and townhomes with taller elements planned for transit routes and along the Ogden Park spine. 

“The built form is in keeping with the intentions laid out in the Inspiration Lakeview Master Plan and integrates appropriately with the development to the south,” the report reads. 

That said, staff noted that the increase in density would need to be offset by transportation improvements and that a new elementary school would have to be included in the plan. 

The report says the proposal does not ask for any buildings taller than 15 storeys and that the consortium is no longer asking for taller towers along the Lakeshore Road East frontage and is instead proposing buildings of no more than eight storeys in height in that area. The report also notes that a mid-rise building has been proposed at the southwest corner of Lakefront Promenade on lands owned by Canada Post. Previously, a podium school had been considered for that parcel. 

While further changes would need to be made should the project move forward, staff say the Region of Peel has determined that its water and wastewater systems can accommodate the influx of new residents, with new infrastructure added as needed. 

The report also notes that the developer has not yet specified how many housing units will be deemed affordable, but has stated it will meet affordable housing requirements as the project gets underway. 

Planning and development committee members will discuss the proposal next week. 

– With files from Karen Longwell