Mississauga positioning itself to take ownership of historic Small Arms building – June 17, 2016 Mississauga News
Photo from the June 17, 2016 Mississauga News article depicts a Doors Open event at Small Arms building some years ago prior to the building of the construction barriers that are currently in place just west of the building.
Aerial view of Arsenal Lands taken some time after the demolition of the Small Arms Ltd. munitions plant. The yellow building is the Small Arms building. The parking lot that was in place just east of the Small Arms building has since been removed. Featured in a June 17, 2016 Mississauga News article, the photo is from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
A June 17, 2016 Mississauga News article is entitled: “Mississauga positioning itself to take ownership of historic Small Arms building.”
The opening paragraphs read:
Rich in history and a positioned at a geographical hotspot in Mississauga, the Small Arms building in Lakeview is inching closer to becoming a creative hub for environmental sciences, technology, arts and culture.
An in-camera motion passed at Wednesday’s general committee meeting authorized staff to negotiate the conveyance of the Small Arms building, located at 1352 Lakeshore Road East, from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to the City of Mississauga.
“All I can say is that I’m really happy,” said area Coun. Jim Tovey after the in-camera meeting.
The 43,000 square foot building is slated to become a multi-purpose community hub, including office and studio space, with an emphasis on promoting arts, culture, heritage, scientific research and small business.
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Small Arms building or Small Arms Building?
I generally go with Small Arms Building but Small Arms building works fine also. For the current post, I’ve used the spelling that the Mississauga News article uses.
At the above-noted June 17, 2016 Mississauga News article, I’ve had the opportunity to add the following comments (for which I’ve done minor copy editing to enhance the flow of text) regarding the Small Arms repurposing project.
What has strongly impressed me about the Small Arms repurposing project is the quality of the planning associated with it. I have documented the project for several years at the Preserved Stories website. In my experience, for such a project to make headway you need a strong board of directors with a wide range of business and professional experience in the wider world. Without such experience, it can be a challenge to move forward on any repurposing project. The Small Arms board of directors possesses such a range of skills.
The Small Arms board includes individuals with skills in archival research, event planning, cultural planning, auditing, marketing, and event management among other essential skills. My sense is that the project will proceed with a solid and financially prudent business plan.
I am pleased to add that I attended the June 15, 2016 Special Council meeting at which the Small Arms project was discussed. I was impressed that a spokesperson from Port Credit, as well as a number of Councillors from across the City of Mississauga, noted that the Small Arms project is of relevance not only for the immediate area where it is located but is, as well, of relevance for all of Mississauga, and also has significance at the provincial, and national, levels.