Mississauga’s skyline will climb higher and take on another distinctive shape when the first of 10 proposed towers in the Rogers M City development rises at the corner of Burnhamthorpe Rd. and Confederation Pkwy.

The flagship M City building will stand 60 storeys, making it the tallest in Mississauga, and feature an undulating design that bookends the 50- and 56-storeys in the curvy Absolute towers to the east.

“It was our intention to do something truly iconic to frame the downtown. We think this building really does achieve that,” said Mark Reeve, a partner in Urban Capital Developments, the company working with Rogers Real Estate Developments to build M City.

“The design is quite unique. We thought it was a wonderful response to how popular the design of Absolute towers was,” he said.

CORE Architects was selected from among three Toronto firms for its rectangular floor plate design that is visually arresting but maintains conventional, efficient floor plans.

The design is intended to be “iconic yet simple — something that would last the test of time,” said CORE Architects’ Babak Eslahjou.

“We wanted to have an undulating movement in the tower that rose up towards the sky and faded away in the clouds. We have seven different floor plates that rotate one way and then the other. It gives you the impression that it’s just rising up. That’s the reason we don’t have a hat if you will (on the building). It just kind of ends on its own. It helps your eye just go up and down,” he said.

The glass on the balconies appears white, allowing the form of the tower to be read better. It also obscures some of the items people tend to store outside their units, Eslahjou said.

Cities need a mix of utilitarian buildings and more iconic architecture, he said.

“We’re trying to have a distinct design element but it is still a residential building that serves all the purposes and needs of the inhabitants. It’s still about how you’re living in it and how it lives in the city,” Eslahjou said.

The first phase of M City is expected to launch in early March and will include 784 residential units ranging from over 400 sq. ft. to about 900 sq. ft., with one- to three-bedroom suites. Some penthouses will be larger. Prices start at about $200,000.

M City will have a range of amenities, many of them family friendly, from the usual gym and party room, to a splash pad and an outdoor swimming pool.

There’s also a proposal for a skating rink on the tower’s podium in the winter, Reeve said.

The plan is to break ground late this year or early 2018 with a target occupancy in late 2021 or early 2022. The entire 10-tower development is expected to take 10 to 15 years, depending on market conditions.

“Around Square One you’ll continue to see the evolution of more commercial office development as well as new retail concepts. More of the residential density will be concentrated just outside the immediate Square One environment,” Reeve said.

The inspiration for the project was Mississauga’s Downtown 21 plan, said John Anderton, vice-president, treasurer of Rogers Telecommunications Limited.

“We’ve bought right into that. The master plan for our community incorporates all the principles that are embodied in that plan,” he said.

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The idea is to intensify the residential and commercial development of Mississauga’s downtown and animate it with more vibrant public spaces, walkable streets and easy access to public transit, including the coming Hurontario LRT, said Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

“We are building a complete city — a place where people can live, work, earn an education and enjoy an unrivalled quality of life — all within their community. This landmark development will redefine the western edge of downtown Mississauga and add to our growing skyline,” Crombie said in a statement.

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