In Mississauga, a waterfront redevelopment called Lakeview Village is planning to transform a 177 acre plot of land previously the site of the 'four sisters' coal power plant into a live-work-play neighborhood per Urban Toronto.
The plan by Lakeview Community Partners Ltd. has been in the works for almost 13 years and started when the Ontario Liberal government shut down the coal-fired power plant due to pollution and climate change. During 2006 and 2007 when demolition of the plant was taking place, a citizen driven project called Lakeview Legacy sparked community interest in the revitalization of the site.
The owner of the property, Ontario Power Generation, began working with the Ontario Government and the city of Mississauga to develop a mutual vision for what they called 'Inspiration Lakeview'. After an RFP process settled by the city, Lakeview Community Partners Ltd. was chosen as the development partner and ended up purchasing the land for $275 million from Ontario Power Generation. The developer, a coalition of 5 GTA development and construction companies and 12 outside consultants, have pitched their masterplan and renamed it 'Lakeview Village' to the public.
The development is made up of seven distinct districts which will each fill a specific purpose that will complement the overall neighborhood. Of all these districts, Lakeview Square is the centrepiece. This will be the place for shopping, dining and entertainment in Lakeview Village. The square will concentrate on attracting non-national retail tenants and programming. Lakeview Square will also front on a man-made recreation pond which will offer kayaking for rent and paddle sports equipment for the residents and visitors.
Alongside of this downtown district will be the most exciting part of this proposal. It will be a linear urban park extending the width of the development that will feature a man-made water channel as its centrepiece and will be called Waterway Common. This will be a year round public gathering place and also become a skating rink in the winter.
Lakeview Village is looking to attract innovative firms to the site. A string of offices in the Serson Innovation Corridor will offer flexible office space with the possibility for additional education uses in the future. This will add up to a possible 825,000 feet of employment space.
Inspiration Point is being designed to be a tranquil waterfront park with a pier that extends over 600 metres into Lake Ontario. The park will showcase public art, cultural pop ups and an open air music venue called 'Coal Hill'.
The Marina and Ogden Green will be the residential anchors for the site. The Marina will feature high rise condo developments and Ogden Green will include townhomes and mid rise buildings with a streetscape designed around mid-block pedestrian walkways and paths.
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The plan will focus on Lakeview Village's integration with the existing community, primarily the intersection at Lakeshore Road East. The gateway into Lakeview Village will feature a mixed-use landmark building of 'world class architectural standard' to give the right impression for anyone entering the neighborhood.
The proposal outlines very specific design principals to guide the way that architects are selected and instructed to produce designs for buildings in the development. There will also be access to two existing GO transit stations - Port Credit and Long Branch - but is not presently in walking distance to either one. This challenge will hopefully be alleviated and residents and commuting employees will eventually be able to live and work here without having to use a car.
Planning approval is expected in the fall of 2019 with the first phase of construction starting the following spring. The first districts to be developed will be Lakeview Square, Waterway Common and Inspiration Point. When this project is completed, Lakeview Community Partners believe that the land could be worth about $6 billion.
