[ShonTron]

I was in Brampton last Wednesday for the transit open house. It also gave me the chance to update the forum on construction.

Construction is just starting on the second platform at the GO Station.

The Dominion Skate plant, where there's a proposal for a condo to replace all but the front of the plant. No updates though.

Some gentrification of the old rooming house district north and west of the downtown core. I'm noticing more housing renovations lately.

The Downtown Core

It looks like the renovations of the old Dominion Building are almost complete. I finally see what the plans were - expand the building at the back. The Coffee Culture (part of a small Western Ontario chain) is a big step up for the downtown - it's really nice inside, good coffee and food and busy, even on a Wednesday evening.

The Renaissance Condos now well underway.

The Peel Housing Tower on John is dug out and there is a crane on site.

The Landmarq is complete. I want to hate it, but I can't. It's bad po-mo, but it's not an eyesore either.

Park Place condos also underway. I'm slightly surprised by how fast this one is going up.

The abandoned Peel Memorial Hospital

Rhythm (Mattamy), not quite downtown, and across from the crappy Flowertown Inn (now HoJo). It looks like they are about to start on the condo tower/townhouses development. Nicest sales office yet built in Brampton.

 

[Hydrogen]

Interesting.

Is there any news about what is to happen with the hospital site?

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

nice tour. it's a side of brampton i haven't seen.

 

[Hipster Duck]

Re: Landmarq

I think I'm just happy to see Brampton expand their downtown by building multi-storey residential towers with retail on the street that I'd accept any building: LoPo or NoPo.

 

[ShonTron]

That's a big reason why I can't quite hate it. The street presence isn't that bad at all. Also, the Lo-Po here almost seems to fit, and isn't too outlandish. The modern Park Place hopefully will turn out well to counterbalance it.

The old hospital site will still be likely be used for some sort of health services - the government and hospital board is talking about an ambulatory care centre (a glorified day clinic), but only after a year or so start work on that, while citizens are demanding an immediate renovation and it's re-activation as a full service hospital.

 

[Mustapha]

Nice to see Brampton isn't hurting too bad. Thanks.

 

[flar]

Thanks, I've never really seen much of Brampton. It doesn't look too bad.

 

[Redroom Studios]

thanks for that great little tour! I havent been to downtown Brampton in about 15 years...

 

[299 bloor call control.]

Rhythm is going to be a great development as well.. albeit surrounded by crap. It's Mattamy's first foray into high-rise development and I think they nailed it...

 

[lordmandeep]

Matammy is like the Tridel of Homebuilding you know...

 

[RedRocket191]

It makes me wonder if Mattamy will ever build a high-rise condo factory...

 

[TOareaFan]

Thanks, I've never really seen much of Brampton. It doesn't look too bad.

I think you are not alone. I believe most people only know the Brampton that is massive stretches of detached houses and shopping malls. Granted, that accounts for a great deal of the city but there is a very interesting downtown which has barely survived but is now undergowing some pretty impressive growth.

Even outside the downtown there are some interesting things happening. Loblaws new head office is in Brampton, there is a new/expansion to the Peel Region H.O. near the Bramalea City Centre and the people who built the Landmarq also built a new residential building over by the Bramalea GO station.

The two new condos downtown are crucial for the city. The Mattamy development is pretty important too. While not technically downtown, it has the potential to drag the development momentum along Queen towards the 410 and spur the long awaited (over 15 years) conversion of car dealer alley into some real urban space.

I do not want to be presumptive (being new here) but if there is an interest I can go by some of these projects on a semi regular basis take pics (assuming I can figure out how to post them here).

 

[W. K. Lis]

Downtown Peel

The people of Peel Region should designate downtown Brampton as downtown Peel.

It is a much better downtown than the parking lots of downtown Mississauga (Square One). It has high density, a train station, mixed use of buildings, and pedestrian traffic. It is only missing a good rapid transit system, which they could get with a Hurontario LRT (and not a BRT, which is only a want-to-be).

 

[Tuscani01]

The people of Peel Region should designate downtown Brampton as downtown Peel.

It is a much better downtown than the parking lots of downtown Mississauga (Square One). It has high density, a train station, mixed use of buildings, and pedestrian traffic. It is only missing a good rapid transit system, which they could get with a Hurontario LRT (and not a BRT, which is only a want-to-be).

wtf? Since when was Mississauga city centre downtown Peel Region? There is no downtown Peel Region. Plus, Hurontario LRT will also be serving MCC, along with the BRT and every other Mississauga Transit route which currently diverts to the City Centre terminal. Then you have the GO bus terminal by the City Centre transit terminal and Cooksville GO station just outside of MCC.

Port Credit has all of the above too anyways, plus it has more activity than downtown Brampton... even during the night.

 

[jeicow]

The people of Peel Region should designate downtown Brampton as downtown Peel.

It is a much better downtown than the parking lots of downtown Mississauga (Square One). It has high density, a train station, mixed use of buildings, and pedestrian traffic. It is only missing a good rapid transit system, which they could get with a Hurontario LRT (and not a BRT, which is only a want-to-be).

Uh...like he already said, there is no offical "downtown Peel". I guess in a way it already acts like it though since the Central Police Station and Regional Headquarters are already there but I'm willing to bet that the average Peel citizen wouldn't know that. That said, Peel Region will hopefully not be around for much longer. It has outlived its use, and seems to be causing more problems than it's worth. Both centres are getting decent BRT and LRT networks connecting them to eachother and their surronding neighbours.

And thank you for pointing out where downtown Mississauga was. I always get so confused about that