[2][3] The name "Bramalea" was created by the farmer William Sheard, who integrated the BRAM from Brampton, MAL from Malton (then a neighbouring town which is now a part of Mississauga), and the LEA, an old British word meaning meadow or grassland.

The two centrepieces were connected by a short underground passageway under Team Canada Drive, which has long since been sealed due to "hooligan" activities.

[citation needed] Other features included a police station, which was built before the other structures, (closed in 2008 in order to move into the new Peel Region offices), a bus terminal which was built as a "dial-a-bus" hub, a Holiday Inn (closed and being converted into a senior's residence), and a collection of seniors' retirement homes.

The Zero Lot Line housing concept was pioneered in the G- and H-sections ("The Villages of Central Park"), in an affordable housing joint venture between developers and the Ontario Government called the Home Ownership Made Easy ("HOME") project.

Bramalea is the location of the Stellantis Canada automotive plant, which was formerly a Chrysler facility and originally developed by American Motors for the manufacture of its Eagle Premier sedan (a joint venture with Renault).