Markets 
The owners of a popular commercial plaza in Mississauga, Ont., will begin installing gates and security cameras as part of a deal with the city to reduce “nuisance gatherings.”
The city and the Ridgeway Plaza Condominium Corporations announced the deal in a news release Wednesday. Work on installing the new measures will begin immediately, with several pieces expected to be in place by next month.
“Following a recent mediation process, the City of Mississauga and the Ridgeway Plaza Condominium Corporations have established a formal compliance and security framework to reduce nuisance gatherings at Ridgeway Plaza and help maintain a safe, welcoming space for residents, visitors, and local businesses,” the release reads.
“Over the past few years, such gatherings have violated the City’s Nuisance Gathering By-law and interfered with road safety, traffic flow, emergency response, and by-law enforcement in and around the plaza. By making the outlined changes, the Condominium Corporations are ensuring the property continues to be in compliance with municipal by-laws while protecting the long-term viability of the plaza.”
Aside from the cameras and gates, the plaza owners will also install speed bumps; additional no-parking, trespassing and video surveillance signage; and increased security staffing during large celebrations.
Get breaking National news
Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story.
The release added that the condo corporations will independently fund those installations.
In exchange, the city will provide enhanced enforcement of parking regulations.
“The city and the Ridgeway Plaza Condominium Corporations will also meet on a quarterly basis to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed,” the release added.
Ridgeway Plaza, which features 115 restaurants, has been the subject of hundreds of complaints over the years.
Mississauga has said it has received 112 complaints since 2022 about the parking and pedestrian traffic that comes with those restaurants. Those complaints have included congestion, unauthorized uses, waste storage and noise.
In response to the issues, council put in place an interim control bylaw on Sept. 11, 2024, that would temporarily prohibit new restaurants, entertainment and other “parking-intensive uses” for the plaza and surrounding lands for a year.
Mississauga city council voted unanimously on Jan. 14 to implement several recommendations in a staff report, including a zoning bylaw change to the size of restaurants at Ridgeway Plaza, reducing it by 15 per cent of its current levels.
The proposal would only impact new and expanded businesses, not those currently in place, and the change would be temporary, with plans for adjustments as the months pass.
Read the full article here
