CanFirst Capital Management has broken ground on a speculative office-to-industrial conversion in the Greater Toronto Area.

The 14.08-acre site at Erin Mills Parkwy and Mississauga Road in Mississauga, Ont., previously accommodated 17 single-storey office buildings constructed in the late 1970s.

The office buildings, which spanned 142,772 square feet, were 74-per-cent occupied. They are being demolished and replaced by a 272,379-sf industrial structure. Former office tenants’ leases had demolition clauses, said Can First.

The new zero-carbon industrial building will contain a 40-foot clear height; 42 dock-level doors; two grade-level doors; 50-foot-wide by 54-foot-deep bays; and a 60-foot staging bay. Parking will be available for 226 cars, including 12 electric vehicles and 37 trailers.

Solar panels will be installed on the roof to reduce dependence on the local electrical grid. Improved water efficiency is planned for the building’s interior and exterior.

Toronto-based CanFirst acquired the property from Europro in 2021 for $50 million.