LOOK AHEAD: What’s in store for Mississauga city council in 2018
List includes LRT, marina redevelopment, election of regional chair

Missussauga.com
Jan. 3, 2018
Rachael Williams

With a busy year in the books, Mississauga city council is headed for an even more chaotic 2018.

Construction is set to begin on a $1.4-billion Light Rail Transit project that will see one of the city's major arterial roads ripped apart for the next four years. Massive redevelopment along the corridor is also expected to take shape in the new year, with roughly 20 high-rises already planned for the area.

The city, in partnership with a developer consortium, is also undertaking an ambitious waterfront redevelopment at the former Lakeview Generating Station lands.

And to top it off, this year will see a municipal election where Peel will be required to elect a regional chair for the first time in its history. This could lead to some changing faces at the local level as well.

Here is a list of five things to watch out for in Mississauga this year.

Rising costs of Hurontario LRT

With a project of this magnitude, the odds of it staying within the allocated $1.4 billion budget are slim to none.

In Waterloo Region, construction of the ION rapid transit system has run $50 million over budget due to construction delays, utility relocation costs and unexpected archeological work. The original $818 million budget has now ballooned to $868 million and counting.

When Calgary completed its West LRT line, the final cost hit $1.4 billion, well above the original $700 million projected budget.

In 2017, Mississauga city council allocated $53 million in additional funding to the project for infrastructure improvements and upgrades related to the Hurontario LRT. With construction set to begin in 2018 and the province still not providing any answers on who will fund the operating costs, city council will have to keep a close eye on the budget and timeline.

Affordable housing

A quick drive down Hurontario Street provides a glimpse of what is expected to come in the next few years. As the LRT corridor is constructed, developers eager to profit off the vast provincial investment are purchasing property along the corridor. Older residential and commercial buildings are being swallowed up and replaced by shiny new condominium towers, likely decreasing the amount of rental stock and affordable units.

City council recently adopted a strategy aimed at preserving affordable housing options for the middle class. Specific recommendations include developing a demolition control and replacement bylaw, supporting second unit grant programs and exploring incentives to support inclusionary zoning. This year, the focus will be on ensuring these measures are put into action.  

Election of regional chair

The 2018 municipal election will see voters cast their ballots for the position of Peel Region chair for the first time. Historically an appointed position, Queen’s Park introduced new legislation in November 2016 in an effort to strengthen local government.

In the past, critics have characterized the appointment of regional chair as a flawed and undemocratic process. When Frank Dale was appointed regional chair in 2014, it was because he was able to cast the tie-breaking vote for himself over his opponent John Sanderson.

With name recognition and sufficient capital needed to run a campaign of that magnitude, there will likely be interest from current municipal politicians. In a recent interview, Coun. Ron Starr said he was 85 per cent sure he would make a run for the position.

If he is successful, that leaves an opening for a new candidate to emerge in Ward 6.

Marina redevelopment

Discussions surrounding the redevelopment of the Port Credit marina have been ongoing for years. But in 2016, real progress was made on the file, with Canada Lands Corporation (CLC) drafting its own master plan for the area. The plan envisions a relocated marina on an eastern headland, with a waterfront promenade and a mix of housing opportunities. The question is, who will pay for the estimated $60-million project?

CLC announced in June it was giving the city a two-acre waterfront property and over 50 acres of water lot in hopes it would spur council to move forward with the redevelopment. However, council has not backed any proposal that would see taxpayers fund what Coun. Carolyn Parrish has dubbed a “yacht club.”

Councillors even went so far as to craft an amendment to its governance bylaws to ensure ward councillors do not lobby upper levels of government for projects not approved by council.

With an election on the horizon and millions of dollars at stake, this issue could heat up at city hall in 2018. 

Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) transit hub

The GTAA has proposed a multi-billion dollar transit hub to be built near Toronto Pearson International Airport. Referred to as Union Station West, the hub would serve as a regional transit terminal for the western end of the Greater Toronto Area, connecting trains, light rail vehicles and buses.

The ambitious project will require co-operation from all levels of government, including Mississauga’s local council. However, the city and the GTAA have had a less than friendly relationship for decades and until past issues are resolved, city council has decided to cease negotiations with the airport authority.

The city contends it has been waiting 20 years for a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the two sides. With the airport located in Mississauga’s backyard, waging war against the GTAA will surely have residual effects that span beyond the proposed transit terminal.