Proposal for towers with 543 rental units gets a thumbs down in Mississauga

City staff is suggesting councillors reject a proposal to replace a plaza with two rental apartment building towers in Mississauga.

Last summer, Ahmed Group, a family-owned real estate investment firm, announced plans to build the two towers on their property at 1000 and 1024 Dundas St. E.

The property, west of Dixie Road between Stanfield Road and Haines Road, is occupied with single-storey shops including a furniture store and a former used car dealership.

But in November, the plans had changed from two towers of 16 and 20 storeys and 462 rental units to 543 purpose-built rental apartment units. The owners want the option of adding studio rental apartment units and decreasing the number of three-bedroom rental apartment units.

They also want to change the proportion of one- and two-bedroom rental apartment units in the building. The ground floor would be commercial or retail space.

The application requires an official plan and zoning change to proceed. The land is currently allocated for commercial uses and employment lands.

Now, city planning staff say the application needs additional information and modifications. They are recommending the Planning and Development Committee reject the proposal at the Monday (June 26) meeting.

The developers have already gone to the Ontario Land Tribunal to fight a city non-decision on the project. City staff are asking for approval to send the legal team.

The planning issues include compatibility with nearby industry, building setbacks, and a number of technical studies and issues that haven’t been properly addressed (e.g. functional servicing report, traffic impact study, location of the property line on Dundas Street East).

At a May 8 meeting, lawyer David Tang representing the nearby Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee, suggested the location isn’t appropriate for residential development. The towers would be too close to Mother Parkers and odours from the manufacturer would impact the residents.

Mother Parkers recently got a $33.4 million grant from the province for expansion.

“This is something we struggle with as a city, we have to protect employers like you,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie at the May meeting.

Mother Parkers provides coffee for companies around the world and provides jobs for the city, she said.

“You are a gem for us,” Crombie added.

She said this area of Dundas Street needs to be protected for industrial uses.

Councillor Stephen Dasko said he liked some of the plans for the project including the architecture and geothermal elements but he didn’t think the apartment buildings, in their current form, are compatible with the neighbourhood. More studies are needed, he said.

“This is way premature,” Dasko said.

The project comes to the Planning and Development meeting on June 26. For more information, see the report here.