Request to fast-track housing development of ‘infamous’ plaza near Sheridan College endorsed by Brampton council
Published June 14, 2023 at 1:09 pm
City Council has given its blessing on a request to the province to speed up the proposed redevelopment of what’s been called an “infamous” plaza in Brampton into a residential community.
The request was made by Bousefields Inc. on behalf of Kingknoll Developments which wants to build two mid-rise residential
apartment buildings and three mixed-use buildings at 545 Steeles Ave. West directly across from Sheridan College.
The buildings would be between 8 to 35 storeys tall and bring some 1,200 housing units to an area of Brampton that councillors say is in need of more housing options.
The developers are asking the province for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) which was endorsed by Brampton City Council on Wednesday (June 14). The request with Brampton’s blessing will be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for assessment.
The use of MZOs has been on the rise in Ontario in recent years with Brampton seeing an uptick in requests.
Deputy Mayor and Coun. Hakirat Singh called the proposal “a good rebranding of the area that’s much needed,” calling the site “infamous.”
Council heard how the property has seen a significant number of property complaints to the city since 2020, including excessive noise, parking issues, fireworks complaints, refuse and litter, vehicle idling and even some COVID-related matters.
The plaza was also the scene of a massive fight last summer where at least one of the men was caught on video swinging what appears to be a sword during the melee.
While there’s much to be done before any approvals are made by the province – including questions around servicing from the Region of Peel and a traffic impact study – Councillors Singh and Martin Medeiros said they would like to the developers include affordable housing options in the project and consider prioritizing units for Sheridan College students.
The motion to endorse the MZO request came from Coun. Dennis Keenan and was unanimously approved by council.
