This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

As a busy singer-songwriter-producer, Canadian musician Zameer Rizvi — also known as just Zameer — spends most of his time touring around the world. But, when not on the road, he needs a place to relax, connect with family, put his creative talents to work and hold meetings.

His mother, Nayyer, an educator and consultant, has retired and the stairs in her Mississauga townhome are becoming an issue for her. As well, the location is not close to amenities and doesn’t have a lot to keep her grandchildren entertained when they visit.

M City, the large master-planned condo community from Rogers Real Estate Ltd. and Urban Capital in downtown Mississauga, presented a solution for both Rizvis. Zameer bought a 1,000-square-foot, three-bedroom unit in M2, the second of eight towers that will comprise the community at the western gateway to the city’s core. When they take occupancy in early 2023, his mom will live there fulltime and he’ll stay with her when he’s not travelling.

“Living at M City will allow Mom to be more mobile and social,” says Zameer. “She is very active, enjoys a stimulating environment and has a zest for life. She’ll be around other people and she can walk to the splash pad with the grandkids, and enjoy all the other amenities.”

Nayyer’s family immigrated to Canada in 1995, and her three other children and nine grandchildren also live in Mississauga. “M City is good for older people, young people, children,” she says. “It’s so close to everything and I will have people to talk to. At this age, that’s very comforting.”

M City is walking distance to Mississauga Celebration Square, Living Arts Centre, the Hazel McCallion Memorial Library, Art Gallery of Mississauga, the Civic Centre and Square One Shopping Centre. As well, the development is surrounded by shops and stores, businesses and services, and restaurants and cafes.

The first three towers in M City are sold out, with M4 almost fully sold and the latest building, M5, recently launched for sale. M City will bring more than 6,000 condominium units to the city when it’s completed. The 15-acre site combines condo towers with retail and will have a tree-lined promenade, a two-acre park and connections to the Mary Fix Park and John Cleary Park.

With M City, Rogers and Urban Capital followed Mississauga’s Downtown21 Master Plan to create a walkable, mixed-use community, says Urban Capital director of development Steven Barr. The city’s goal is to establish a sustainable downtown where people can live, work and play and have close connections to transit.

M City is the western gateway to downtown Mississauga, while the Absolute World towers (known as the Marilyn Monroe buildings) define the eastern gateway. The Absolute towers were designed by Beijing-based architect Ma Yansong and MAD Architects after an international competition and their design has attracted international acclaim. The M1 and M2 highrises are designed with angular, twisting shapes to complement the Absolute towers’ curves.

“There was a desire from all stakeholders to see M City as a place of high design,” says Barr. “Design begets design. We want the city skyline to be not just recognizable in the GTA, but around the world. We are seeing other developers coming to the table in Mississauga with incredible buildings and everyone is continuing to push the envelope.”

Barr says the City of Mississauga is forward-thinking and “allows for a certain type of architectural language.” That includes skyscrapers and M3, at 81 storeys, will be the city’s tallest building and one of the tallest in the GTA.

IBI Architects, the firm that designed M3, has created a different design for M5 — a 36-storey, 430-suite building. It’s inspired by a connection to the outdoors, with a pedestrian-first street and a retail space with floor-to-ceiling windows. While other M City buildings’ architecture twists and turns, M5’s design is more square, with black and white forms. Interiors by Cecconi Simone, inspired by a Japanese esthetic, will incorporate biophilic materials and have simple, clean lines.

Coming up with the amenities for each building is the “fun stuff” says Barr, based on current trends, feedback from residents and the sales and marketing team. He says they’ve tried to do something special for each M City building. For example, M1 has a winter skating rink, M2 has a sports bar, both have pools and splash pads, and M3 has an indoor pool housed in a “glass box.” Many of M5’s amenities are wellness-inspired including meditation areas, Hammam steam bath, infrared sauna, massage room and Zen lounge. There will be other must-haves such as a lounge, a dining room and event space, a gym and a kids’ playroom.

There will be a “blurring of lines” between public and private space at M City with integrated benches and raised planters, and a windscreen created by Canadian artist Ed Pien.

Zameer says he’ll enjoy those amenities when he returns home from touring. His debut single, “Win or Defeat,” was the theme song for the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, in Vancouver, and he’s since performed at some of Canada’s largest venues and at festivals and around the world. He says he’ll have peace of mind knowing that, when he’s not home, his mother will have single-level living at M City, won’t have to drive to get all she needs, will have people to socialize with and will have plenty to enjoy with her grandchildren in the building and the immediate neighbourhood.

Their M2 condo will be the 11th home Nayyer has had, and she has a keen interest in real estate. “M City is so close to everything. I have seen a lot of condos that don’t consider children and families. I haven’t seen a building like this before. When the grandchildren come, there will be things for us to do.

“I’m very excited to live there!” she says.

Developers: Rogers Real Estate Ltd. and Urban Capital

Architect: IBI Architects; Interior design: Ceconni Simone

Building: Fifth tower in master-planned community of eight-highrises that will be the western gateway to the city’s core; 36-storeys and 430 condo suites with design and amenities inspired by connection to outdoors

Suites: From 450 sq. ft. to over 1,000 sq. ft., including studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom options. Prices from the $600,000s

Building amenities: Meditation areas, Hammam steam bath, infrared saunas, treatment room and Zen lounge. Outdoor dining area with barbecues, outdoor yoga area, outdoor lounge with plunge pool, fitness studio, spin studio, media lounge, dining room and event space, kids’ playroom, kids’ splash pad and outdoor play area.

Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com