The structure, located at 975 Central Pkwy. W., will boast a 8,700-sq.-ft. top comprised of Sedum moss to absorb pollutants from the air. The work and expertise for the green roof was provided by Xero Flor Canada, a local business.
A second 2,500-sq.-ft. green roof at the same transit campus is scheduled to be completed next year.
When completed over the next couple of months, the combined $500,000 project will offer benefits such as lower air conditioning costs, an increase in oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, and a longer roof life, said Mike Bozzelli, the City's project manager of facilities & property management.
“This is a great green initiative and a good energy practice for our future,” he said. “This location serves the best purpose for having a green roof, which is to provide cooling for the administration area below.”
Xero Flor president Joy Schmidt hailed the City's initiative.
“The City is following in the footsteps of Europe, where a green roof is part of the environment,” he said. “These roofs are sustainable and have a big impact on the environment. Right now, we're taking away a lot of the green spaces and replacing it with concrete. The green roofs can help change all of that.”
The lightweight, low cost, green roof has been installed on many buildings around the world including the Ford Dearborn Plant in Michigan, which holds the Guinness World Record for the largest green roof.
Sedum moss was used at the Mississauga site because the resilient and hardy plant can tolerate harsh elements such as snow and wind and plant needs very little maintenance.
“When I tried to sell green roofs in Ontario in early 2000, people laughed at me. They were skeptical,” Schmidt said.
rpanjwani@mississauga.net
