SmartCentres Intensifying Pickering Property With Two Residential Towers

Owning approximately 3,500 acres of land at prime intersections in all provinces across the country, SmartCentres REIT is pursuing an aggressive expansion of its SmartLiving residential sub-brand, diversifying and optimizing its portfolio through redevelopment of its vast roster of properties. A $12.1 billion development program announced in 2019 is now underway, and will see 94 of the 165 SmartCentres’ properties undergo intensification. One of 256 individual development projects, SmartCentres Pickering will transform a 48-acre site at the intersection of Brock Road and Pickering Parkway, located just five minutes from Pickering GO Station.

The property is bounded by Brock Road to the west, Pickering Parkway to the south, a mature single-family neighbourhood to the east, and a service road to the north. Featuring easy access to Highway 401 and the Durham Live entertainment district, the existing Pickering SmartCentre contains a number of high-profile tenants, including Walmart Supercentre, Lowe’s, Winners, LCBO and PetSmart.

The lands were identified in the South Pickering and Kingston Road Corridor Intensification Studies for high-density mixed-use development, aligning with the principles and long-term growth strategy established by SmartCentres. Recognizing the changing landscape of retail, the REIT is taking a leadership role in extracting value and maximizing the potential of its assets, while contributing towards the urbanization of several GTA municipalities, including Pickering.

The first phase of the comprehensive multi-phase masterplan will see the northeast corner of Brock Road and Pickering Parkway—currently occupied by two standalone retail buildings separated by a surface parking lot—redeveloped into a two-tower residential project.

Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications have been recently submitted with the City of Pickering, seeking permissions to build 33 and 34-storey condominiums on the first six-acre lot, with heights of 106 and 109 metres.

Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the two towers will stand atop a multi-storey podium stretching the full length of the property. A total of 377 and 360 one-to-three-bedroom residences are proposed between the two buildings, with 14,500 ft² of retail space to be provided in the podium.

A total of 703 parking spaces have been proposed. An expansive amenities program will include a fitness centre, party room, guest suite, and an outdoor roof deck.

The remaining blocks within the 48-acre property will be developed in phases, allowing the bulk of the retail to continue operating as construction progresses. The lands to the immediate east, occupied by additional surface parking and three individual single-storey commercial buildings, comprise the remainder of Block 1.

You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you’d like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.