The City of Mississauga issued billions in building permits last year, the majority of which was dedicated towards new residential construction.
In a press release, Mississauga stated that it gave out 4,120 building permits last year, equivalent to a total construction value of $2.09 billion. This marks a 36 per cent increase in value from $1.4 billion in 2020. The City of Mississauga also recorded a 10 per cent yearly increase in the number of permits issued, up from 3,709 permits for all building types in 2020.
Permits are provided to Mississauga property owners whenever there is a request to construct, demolish or renovate a building, or create new buildings, additions, garages, decks and sheds.
“These numbers show two important things: One is that developers, businesses and other property owners want to build in Mississauga and take advantage of our thriving economy and the incredible amenities our city has to offer. And secondly, it shows that we’re doing everything we can at the City to ensure building permits are issued as quickly as possible in order to get shovels the ground,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie, who noted that the city has the highest number of units under construction now than in the past 30 years.
“The new units we’re building will provide people with more housing options across Mississauga and is one way we are helping address the housing crisis that’s affecting communities all across Ontario,” she added.
Of last year’s $2.09 billion total, residential construction value accounted for $1.4 billion in permits. Another $642,188 was dedicated to non-residential construction. In 2021, the city approved or issued permits for 5,456 new residential units. Sixteen permits were given for commercial projects, and another eight for industrial permits.
Ezio Savini, Mississauga’s director of building and chief building officer, said that the city has seen a 57 per cent decrease in processing time for development applications thanks to its online approvals process. All building permit applications are required to be submitted to Mississauga’s ePlans portal, through which technicians and engineers examine and approve the building plans.
“Our ‘on-time’ planning approvals set us apart with more than 95 per cent of approvals for building permits completed on time,” said Andrew Whittemore, commissioner of planning and building, in the press release. “Building permits for new construction show that the need for housing supply continues and is an important variable to the city’s growth story.”
According to data on BuzzBuzzHome, there are 74 new projects in Mississauga across all phases of development. The majority of these projects are condo developments, with 6,610 new units currently under construction in the city.
Some of the key projects in development in Mississauga include the 177-acre master-planned Lakeview Village, a new ‘15-minute city’ that will deliver new parkland, residential, commercial and employment space near the waterfront. The community, which is a collaboration between several developers and architects, recently received the Award of Excellence for Sustainable Development at the 2022 National Urban Design Awards. Mississauga is also home to a $15 million pre-construction penthouse in the third phase of the Exchange District Condos, which set a new record in the city.
