Mississauga Living Arts Centre Precint | ?m | 20s | City of Mississauga

drum118

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Interesting.

With this planned hotel, and the hotel at Exchange coming online, I wonder if the Novotel will stick around much longer. It's a prime site for redevelopment given the LRT stop is going to be right outside its door.
 
Interesting.

With this planned hotel, and the hotel at Exchange coming online, I wonder if the Novotel will stick around much longer. It's a prime site for redevelopment given the LRT stop is going to be right outside its door.
I have breakfast at driftwood bar every other day. And I’ll be sad to see it go. But before this announcement I was looking out the window at the old petro Canada site and then looking at the restaurant I was sitting in and thought there’s no way they’re going to build 70 there and not rip this down for another one or two 70s.
 
Based on the description in the article, this does not replace the LAC, but rather wraps around it.

In fact, it's clear the City intends to invest in the LAC and add 560 seats to the main auditorium.

I looked at the site and mapped out the measurement from the article (3 acres surrounding the LAC).

This is the likely footprint: (exactly 3 acres.)

Screenshot 2025-01-31 at 13-26-20 Google Maps.png


The two larger sides pretty much need to be there, but you could wrap the south side rather than the west and get a similar measurement.
 
Money pit? These sorts of civic theatres are important as cultural hubs, even if they don't make money.
I really don't know off-hand how much it costs to run the Living Arts Centre each year. I will say though that I think the decision to build the trifecta of the Living Arts Centre, Mississauga City Hall, and the Mississauga Central Library in the 1990s, all in one spot next to Square One, is part of what made the Mississauga City Centre so successful in attracting development. I think it's paid off in the long run.
 
That money pit is where my kids go to dance class. Nice place even though I’m only gone to a few shows.
I used to be a Team Leader and Usher there for over 10 years and it could be dead as a door nail at times. Very rare Orchestra Events saw all 3 levels full to the point we moved people from the 3rd level to the 2nd level on the day of they performances or other events planned for the theater and giving the ushers an option of going home early or take turns sitting up on the 3rd levels. In a lot of cases, I stay outside the theater and let others watch and listen to what was going on as I wasn't interested and willing to put my time in as required. We heard inside info on what was taking place management side and feed back from council at the cost of subsiding the LAC and what needed to do about it. It was falling apart when I left as there were no fund to fix things or update them, Can't recalled when I was last in it as too many years has gone by.

Things maybe different today, but don't expect that much improvement. Talking to the various visitors to the LAC, a night out is going to Toronto, not Mississauga theater

This is one project that fail to have funds in the bank to build it and was supposed to happen in two phases, but got built as a full packet.

Even before I left, there was talk about this type of proposal, but never got off the ground.

I like the Rose Theater in Brampton better over the LAC

This project would do a lot more to help the LAC and help it to do a full operation cost recovery.

Wrapping around the exist build has been talked before as well partly over it.
 
Interesting.

With this planned hotel, and the hotel at Exchange coming online, I wonder if the Novotel will stick around much longer. It's a prime site for redevelopment given the LRT stop is going to be right outside it's door.
It has come close a few times of closing down, but you need more than 1-3 hotels in the area to service the expanding city core in the coming decades.
 
The LAC – or Rose Theatre in Brampton – is not necessarily about selling out or even competing with Toronto (or shouldn’t) but providing the space for local events, family-oriented acts, and new artists to perform.

We complain that in Toronto there aren’t enough venues for emerging talent or mid-sized crowds – but with better transit and improved promotion could meet those needs.
 
The city has released a concept plan for the Living Arts Centre re-development.

Screenshot 2026-03-05 at 4.44.09 PM.png


From the report:
Key components of the proposed vision include:

  • A 400,000 - 500,000 square foot convention & hotel (400 rooms) facility, positioned as a regional economic and tourism catalyst
  •  A new state-of-the-art music hub, including a 2,500 - 5,000 capacity music venue, recording studios, and a music school on the Community Common park parcel of land.
  •  New 9 story office and 20 story rental development to support employment growth anddowntown vitality
  •  A signature Sky Park and enhanced more programmable Community Common urban park, strengthening downtown open space and civic identity
  • A redesigned and widened Princess Royal Drive, and abutting “Atrium style open space” that will prioritize programming and events, and retail activity to animate the downtown and to generate more pedestrian activity
  • A precinct-based parking strategy, including approximately 1,500 - 3,000 new underground parking spaces beneath the Community Common to support shared civic, cultural, and commercial uses and tunnel connections
  • A new dedicated LRT station as committed to and supported by the provincial government

It seems like the existing building would be demolished, and replaced by a new venue on the park to the west. The arts centre's existing lot would be given over entirely to the new hotel and convention centre, as well as an office and residential development. The park would be replaced by a rooftop green space above the convention centre.

I mapped out the site below.
Screenshot 2026-03-05 at 4.45.55 PM.png


City council is due to consider the report on March 11th.
 
The city has released a concept plan for the Living Arts Centre re-development.

View attachment 719532

From the report:


It seems like the existing building would be demolished, and replaced by a new venue on the park to the west. The arts centre's existing lot would be given over entirely to the new hotel and convention centre, as well as an office and residential development. The park would be replaced by a rooftop green space above the convention centre.

I mapped out the site below.
View attachment 719534

City council is due to consider the report on March 11th.

That common park is very popular with kids and dog owners. I think lots of folks wouldn’t be happy about losing it even if there is a rooftop replacement (which could be anything and may not be as easily accessible.)
 
I like it, but couldn't they give the art gallery its own space too with all the re-development?
 

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