By Jeremy Nuttall Staff Reporter

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

https://www.thestar.com/business/massive-new-pickering-development-to-include-mall-city-hall-and-at-least-10-new-condo/article_8ea4c483-2913-5d24-8008-8422a5b47d6d.html

A developer on Wednesday unveiled plans for a massive project that will include at least 10 condominium towers melded in and around the existing Pickering Town Centre mall — a growing trend among developments across the GTA.

CentreCourt Developments said the Pickering City Centre will see residential and commercial units alongside open public spaces to create a “thriving” downtown district.\
“The goal is to open the door to purchasers in the fall,” Gavin Cheung, managing partner and president of CentreCourt, said. “We’ve got a track record of building as quickly as there is market appetite.”

The existing Pickering Town Centre and city hall will be folded into the development, with the buildings themselves being incorporated into the new plans, rather than being demolished and rebuilt.
CentreCourt plans to erect more than 10 mixed-use towers on the property, which will include 6,000 condominium residences and a one-and-a-half-acre park. Designed by the architecture firm Diamond Schmitt, the tallest tower will be 55-storeys.

The plan for the 55-acre property also includes a virtual medical clinic residents will be able to access from home operated by Cleveland Clinic Canada. The plan promises enhanced walkways, tree-lined streets and community spaces for festivals.

Using existing malls as part of new and massive housing complexes has become a development trend in the GTA with nearly 200 residential buildings being proposed around 14 malls over the next decade.

Such spaces offer excellent opportunity for redevelopment due to their land, existing retail services and transit infrastructure, Carl Gomez, chief economist at CoStar Group Canada, a commercial real estate database, told the Star last month.

Mayor Kevin Ashe ‘excited about the vision’

Cheung said Pickering’s location just off Hwy. 401 has ready access to the GO station and other transit options placing the project in an ideal place for prospective residents.
“We wouldn’t be nearly as excited if we were building just in an open field without anything around it to service the growth,” Cheung said. “We believe it’s a natural function of what comes next for the City of Pickering.”

The city’s current plans for amenities, such as a new performing arts centre, will mesh with the development, he said.

“They’re bringing in new civic infrastructure not in a vacuum,” Cheung said. “They’re doing it in an intelligent way that’s designed to integrate with this master-plan community.”
Pickering council and community members have, thus far, been supportive of the project and Cheung said he doesn’t expect any hiccups with zoning and density already approved by the city.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe said council’s vision for the project is a walkable and sustainable “destination” point for the city.

“We’re excited about the future, we’re excited about the vision,” Ashe said. “We think it will be a great addition to our city.”

He said there may be some objections to so many towers by some residents in Pickering and said he accepts the differences of opinion. But the site, he said, is the best place for the city to grow.

“There’s always those that don’t want change, but the reality is this is where density should be.”
Toronto is currently in a housing crunch, and the provincial government is hoping to build 1.5 million homes in Ontario by 2033 as Canada looks to accept 1.45 million immigrants by 2026.

-With Star Files
Jeremy Nuttall is a Vancouver-based Business reporter for the Star