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Out with the Old, In with the New

Transforming a tired business park and keeping everyone happy in the process

The 1970s are synonymous with good times. One of our founders was born. One of our founders had a full head of hair. As all decades do, the era also gave birth to things that didn’t age well. So, while mustaches had made something of a comeback, the Panattoni business park, on a busy intersection in Mississauga, hadn’t quite weathered the times.

The industrial park, comprised of 5 separate buildings, needed a complete exterior reconstruction, including building facade, parking lot, walkways, curbing and landscaping.

We’d worked for Panattoni, a Real Estate Development Group before and both of our teams had enjoyed the process. For this project, Panattoni had a design in mind. Our team worked to engineer a way to bring their design to life within strict budget and timing constraints. Most stories that start out this way (at least in our field) don’t have a happy ending. This one probably wouldn’t have either without their trust.

Collaborating closely with Panattoni, we were able to make decisions on the fly, informed by the most current realities. A short feedback loop with trade input (informed by site conditions) helped us navigate the realities of a job site bustling with tenants efficiently.

We crafted strategies to ensure the work was done safely without adversely impacting tenants’ comfort or workflow.

Specific tactics included accommodating the tenants’ schedules, keeping them up to speed on construction details and developing and installing wayfinding signage. Tenants were made to feel like they were getting an upgrade, not being disrupted. For the duration of the project, Panattoni’s clients were our clients.

The buildings received the facelift they needed. New roads, walkways, and curbing were recommended and are now a safe place to walk. And the landscaping brought colour to a previously plain business park.

So out with the orange shag carpeting!

The project evolved, which normally, when that happens, it’s risky for the client because they leave themselves open to change…

But because they worked with us in the past, they knew they could trust us.

Matthew Bucci

Managing Partner of Ingenuity