Mississauga ready to fight large tower project in the heart of the city

Mississauga is gearing up to oppose a large condo project in the heart of Cooksville.

A report that will go before a City committee next week recommends fighting the proposed development slated for 60 Dundas St. E.

The dispute is headed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) after developers — Almega Co. — grew tired of waiting for City of Mississauga officials to approve the plans. The OLT is the body that adjudicates land disputes.

The project calls for the replacement of an old strip plaza on the south side of Dundas, a plaza that currently is home to KFC, Montfort Restaurant, Canada Post, a small supermarket and an I.D.A. Pharmacy, among others.

In its place, developers want to build three condo towers of 16, 27 and 29 storeys that will house over 1,000 dwelling units as well as ground floor retail and office space.

The report that will go before the committee recommends preparing a legal and technical argument to the OLT in opposition to the project moving forward. City council, ultimately, will have to approve the plan to fight.

Although City planners agree with the concept of the development and the need to increase the housing stock, they say the project falls short in several areas including floodplain and erosion control, sanitary services, and the impact of shadowing on neighbouring residences. As well, the City claims the developers have not properly addressed a number of issues including the impact on traffic.

Hearings before the OLT are scheduled for November and then in the spring of 2024.

The City also intends to negotiate with Almega to work out the details of the project before it heads to the OLT.