Three derelict homes, including a unique wood-clad house, are slated for demolition on University of Toronto Mississauga property.
The university has applied to demolish vacant homes at 3300, 3324, and 3284 Mississauga Rd., which are across the street from the UTM campus, Luke Barber, the executive director, digital and physical infrastructure, said in an emailed statement to INsauga.com.
The properties were purchased as part of the University of Toronto’s real estate investment strategy and have been vacant for some time, Barber said. After recent updated building condition assessments, UTM applied for demolition permits through the City of Mississauga. If approved, the homes will be removed and the land will remain vacant, he added.
Because the homes are on the Mississauga Road Scenic Route, one of the city’s oldest and most picturesque thoroughfares, the request to demolish must be considered by the Heritage Advisory Committee.
Two of the homes—3324 Mississauga Rd. and 3300 Mississauga Rd.—came to the April 14 meeting, and the demolition request was approved by the committee.
One of the homes is unusual and unique.
The two-storey home at 3324 Mississauga Rd. is built in a cottage or chalet style with “unusual massing to create a dramatic, highly articulated elevation,” a report submitted to the City of Mississauga Heritage Advisory Committee states.
The foundation is concrete block and it appears that this was purposely crafted in a way to make the blocks part of the architectural design of the home. The use of structural materials in this way was a common technique in 20th-century modernist design, the report states.
The home at 3324 Mississauga Rd. Photo: City of Mississauga report
City of Mississauga building department records indicate a building permit issued in 1979 and demolition permits issued in 1980 and 1981 for this site. The wooden home was likely built at this time, the report indicates.
It is unclear who built the home, UTM did not provide a history, and a list of past owners is not required for the report.
Committee member and historian Matthew Wilkinson asked why the past owners are not listed in the report.
“This would have been a unique property in his day, certainly its day has passed,” Wilkinson said.
Information on past property owners is not required for the home because it is listed as part of an area (Mississauga Road Scenic Route) and not as an individual property with a historical connection to the city, John Dunlop, manager, Indigenous Relations, Heritage and Museums with the City of Mississauga, said at the meeting.
The interior of 3324 Mississauga Rd. Photo: City of Mississauga report
The home is in poor condition— it has been vandalized, and water enters freely via holes in the roof and windows. It appears to be infested by raccoons and other vermin, the report states.
“It is unsightly from the street and presents a safety risk to members of the public, as well as to UTM staff who manage and patrol it,” the report states. “There is no practical reason that it be maintained.”
The other home at 3330 Mississauga Rd. is a one-storey brick “ranch bungalow” that was likely built in the 1950s or early 1960s, a report to the Heritage Advisory Committee states. This was a very common home in suburban developments across North America in the post-Second World War period.
The home at 3330 Mississauga Rd. Photo: City of Mississauga report
The home is vacant and is in “an extreme state of disrepair,” the report states. It has been broken into at least once, and all of the copper plumbing was stripped from it, as well as suffering general vandalism. It appears to be infested by raccoons and other vermin. It also presents a safety risk to members of the public, as well as to UTM staff who manage and patrol it.
Copper was removed from the home at 3330 Mississauga Rd. Photo: City of Mississauga report
There are currently no plans for development at 3300, 3324, or 3284 Mississauga Rd., Barber said.
“If UTM considers development in the future, it would be done thoughtfully with meaningful consultation and information-sharing with neighbours and our community,” Barber said.
UTM will continue to work with the city to ensure all processes are followed.
For more information, see the committee meeting and reports here.
Lead photo of the 3324 Mississauga Rd.: City of Mississauga report
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