1 Port Street East Master Plan - Public viewing

NRU
June 1, 2016
By Georgie Gordon

After decades of being inaccessible to the residents of Mississauga, 1 Port Street East is set to become a vibrant mixed-use area with a full service marina and public open spaces that allow access to the water’s edge.

Mississauga ward 1 councillor Jim Tovey told NRU that one of the main differences between the master plan that was approved by the planning and development committee Monday and the one submitted by site owner Canada Lands Company in 2013 is the presence of office space.

“Where I think it varies considerably with what Canada Lands had proposed is it has a much stronger office component. Canada Lands didn’t have an office component, so the jobs to resident ratio [in the 2016 master plan] is a lot closer to two to one, which is sort of our sweet spot that we try to look for anywhere in Mississauga,” he said.

Building on what Tovey said, City of Mississauga strategic leader Ruth Marland told NRU that there are significant differences between the master plan submitted by Canada Lands Company and the one developed by The Planning Partnership together with Cushman & Wakefield, Shoreplan Engineering and Touristics. There is more land identified for marina use at the east area of the site, more public parkland, and the potential for a landmark building on the southern portion of the site in the approved master plan.

While the building heights range from three to 10 storeys along Port Street East, and decrease to a maximum of six storeys along the pier, there is provision for a landmark building of up to 22 storeys at the end of the pier. The building must satisfy criteria set out in the master plan including a use that would bring people to the site, such as a convention centre, and an international design competition.

“The site is seen not only as a future waterfront neighbourhood, but a destination,” Marland said, “This site is on our inventory of landmark sites, and an international design competition is what we would like to see.”

Canada Lands acquired the site from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 2011 and began a consultation process that culminated in the 2013 master plan.

Canada Lands real estate director James Cox told NRU that from the beginning, a mix of uses was integral to the site, starting with the marina.

“For us, the most important thing was to protect the marina and the jobs there and build on that. But ... always the mix of use was really critical to this site working well, having that balance where it wasn’t strictly residential and it wasn’t strictly commercial,” he said.

The marina at 1 Port Street East has 575, or 48 per cent of the 1,198 boat slips that exist in Mississauga today. Marland said that a recreational boating study conducted as part of the master plan process indicated that the city would need another 770 boat slips over the next 20 years.

“If we don’t sustain the marina here, that’s a big impact to recreational boating in Mississauga,” she said. While site comprises about 27.7 hectares, only 6.3 hectares are developable land. Of this only 2.76 hectares, or 44 per cent, is slated for mixed-use development in nine development blocks, with the largest being 0.44 hectares, and the smallest being 0.21 hectares. The remainder of the site includes the 18.7-hectare water basin and 2.5-hectare breakwater. The consultants estimated that the site, which is intended to comprise a mix of residential, commercial, cultural and community land uses, could accommodate 2,000 residents and 800 jobs.

The pedestrian public realm network consists of 4.05 hectares, and includes a 1.11 hectare waterfront promenade and two urban squares: a 0.31-hectare destination park at the southern end of the pier and a 0.13-hectare arrival park that will function as a gateway to the waterfront in Port Credit. Together the promenade and parks constitute 1.55 hectares, or 25 per cent of the total developable land area.

The 1 Port Street East site, along with the site owned by Imperial at 70 Mississauga Road South comprise the area known as Inspiration Port Credit. The Imperial lands, previously the site of a Texaco refinery, has followed a separate master planning process, with the development of a master planning framework that was approved by Mississauga council in December 2015.

It is currently the subject of a request for proposal process by Imperial for the purchase, remediation and redevelopment of the site. A shortlist was announced in February and includes three groups: Cityzen Development Corporation and Greybrook Realty Partners Inc., Mattamy Homes in partnership with CDI Developments, and West Village Partners Joint Venture.

The 1 Port Street East Master Plan will be considered by council at its June 8 meeting. If approved draft official plan amendments will be circulated in June, and a statutory public meeting will be held in the fall. While both the city and Canada Lands agree on the importance of retaining the marina, there continues to be discussion regarding its protection. Marland stated that an agreement with Canada Lands concerning the marina will need to be in place prior the official plan amendments going to council for approval.