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Sir Novelty Fashion
Senior Member
Berkeley?
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
From Waterfrontoronto:
Waterfront Update and Development Opportunities Presentation:
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/dbdocs//47d18ab429b92.pdf
P. 10 - District Energy:
P. 35/38 - Dockside:
AoD
Waterfront Update and Development Opportunities Presentation:
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/dbdocs//47d18ab429b92.pdf
P. 10 - District Energy:
P. 35/38 - Dockside:
AoD
Fair Comment
New Member
aA is Architects Alliance. They are doing the condo development at the foot of Yonge Street for the Cityzen group.
Its amazing that there is no public building or notable public space at the foot of Toronto's most important street. Probably another great achievement / failure of the $200+ million spent on consultants by Waterfront Toronto in the last 6 years.
Its amazing that there is no public building or notable public space at the foot of Toronto's most important street. Probably another great achievement / failure of the $200+ million spent on consultants by Waterfront Toronto in the last 6 years.
adma
Superstar
Fair Comment
New Member
Syn, above, makes an interesting comment about how "indistinguishable" Project Symphony (Corus) is from the rest of the rendering. The Corus building is real and under construction, the rest of the rendering may never happen.
Sherbourne Park was advertized by Waterfront Toronto in 2005 to be completed in 2007. It hasn't even started yet.
The West Donlands was to have 700+ units finsihed by 2007 -- no construction is actually scheduled.
This should be a wake-up call when the only big news is an RFQ (not even an RFP) in 2008, perhaps just in time to miss the greatest residential development boom ever.
Sherbourne Park was advertized by Waterfront Toronto in 2005 to be completed in 2007. It hasn't even started yet.
The West Donlands was to have 700+ units finsihed by 2007 -- no construction is actually scheduled.
This should be a wake-up call when the only big news is an RFQ (not even an RFP) in 2008, perhaps just in time to miss the greatest residential development boom ever.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
From the Globe:
DEVELOPMENT: EAST BAYFRONT
Waterfront's long-running revitalization saga moves into a high-stakes phase
JOHN LORINC
Special to The Globe and Mail
March 8, 2008
During Wednesday morning's snowstorm, lawyer Cindy Wilkey trudged along an inhospitable stretch of Queens Quay East, conjuring images of what the East Bayfront might look like after the (construction) dust settles.
At the corner of Lower Sherbourne, site of the future Sherbourne Park, she paused to glance east, toward the hulking silos near the Parliament Street slip. In the foreground sat a domed tennis club, an abandoned warehouse and a row of forlorn commercial buildings.
"There will be eight-to-10-storey buildings lining Queens Quay, with breaks and ways through into the courtyards," said Ms. Wilkey, gesturing to a derelict wharf facing the harbour. "From time to time, you'll even be able to see the water down there."
At least, that's the plan.
During several community meetings in January, however, Waterfront Toronto (WT) officials hinted to area residents that they are looking to boost the amount of commercial development slated for the land adjacent to the lake. The result could be less housing and more office space on the waterfront. "The stakeholders' group was really quite stunned by this sudden shift," said Ms. Wilkey, chair of the West Donlands stakeholders committee. "We don't want a neighbourhood that closes down at 5 p.m."
The heavily negotiated East Bayfront master plan, approved by council in November, 2005, proposed mainly low-to-medium-rise townhouses, condos and parkettes on the land nearest the lake, with larger offices and stores situated on Queens Quay East.
For years, Ms. Wilkey and about 20 St. Lawrence residents have bird-dogged WT's precinct-planning process, providing detailed feedback on how the agency should build out the last big chunk of Toronto's central waterfront. Now, the long-running revitalization saga is moving into a high-stakes phase as WT embarks on a search for a developer with the capital and savvy to turn those elegant plans into a $1-billion reality.
Next week, WT will put out a call to the global development industry to build 1.7 million square feet of residential and mixed-use development in the East Bayfront between Cherry and Jarvis Streets. The project will include numerous offices, apartments, stores and small cultural venues. WT expects to select a developer by late fall.
In recent months, WT chief executive John Campbell has made the rounds in New York, letting investors know that a big project is in the pipeline. Yesterday, he touted the deal to 200 Canadian builders. And later this month, Mr. Campbell flies to Cannes, France, to pitch the scheme to European and Asian investors at a giant trade show for 28,000 developers, retailers and property companies.
Whether well-capitalized developers express interest remains to be seen. Mr. Campbell's strategy is to cast the net broadly and entice international builders with experience in large urban renewal projects featuring high-end, sustainable design. Many are European. "We're not being terribly prescriptive," he says. "We don't want it to be like an office park in Markham or all residential. Getting the right mix is part of the art of development."
It's a tense moment for local watchdogs like Ms. Wilkey, who fret about what will become of years of painstaking planning.
The WT's renewed interest in commercial development comes on the heels of two recent projects slated for the East Bayfront: a $160-million office building for Corus Entertainment, now under construction at the foot of Jarvis Street; and the rumoured approval of a new campus for George Brown College, to be located next to Corus. Both will face the lake and draw thousands of people to the area.
At the same time, several landowners with real-estate holdings in the East Bayfront have asked the Ontario Municipal Board for approval to erect high-rise condo towers along the north side of Queens Quay East.
While the tussle over residential vs. office use starts to intensify, other issues are coming to light. For instance, the owners of the Redpath sugar refinery have gone to Queen's Park, demanding guarantees that condos planned for the East Bayfront will have adequate sound protection so that the plant won't face pressure to relocate once the area becomes home to hundreds of apartment dwellers.
Despite all the uncertainty, Ms. Wilkey is anxious to see what emerges as word of the massive East Bayfront deal reaches the global development industry. As she admits, "We have lots to learn from other parts of the world."
AoD
DEVELOPMENT: EAST BAYFRONT
Waterfront's long-running revitalization saga moves into a high-stakes phase
JOHN LORINC
Special to The Globe and Mail
March 8, 2008
During Wednesday morning's snowstorm, lawyer Cindy Wilkey trudged along an inhospitable stretch of Queens Quay East, conjuring images of what the East Bayfront might look like after the (construction) dust settles.
At the corner of Lower Sherbourne, site of the future Sherbourne Park, she paused to glance east, toward the hulking silos near the Parliament Street slip. In the foreground sat a domed tennis club, an abandoned warehouse and a row of forlorn commercial buildings.
"There will be eight-to-10-storey buildings lining Queens Quay, with breaks and ways through into the courtyards," said Ms. Wilkey, gesturing to a derelict wharf facing the harbour. "From time to time, you'll even be able to see the water down there."
At least, that's the plan.
During several community meetings in January, however, Waterfront Toronto (WT) officials hinted to area residents that they are looking to boost the amount of commercial development slated for the land adjacent to the lake. The result could be less housing and more office space on the waterfront. "The stakeholders' group was really quite stunned by this sudden shift," said Ms. Wilkey, chair of the West Donlands stakeholders committee. "We don't want a neighbourhood that closes down at 5 p.m."
The heavily negotiated East Bayfront master plan, approved by council in November, 2005, proposed mainly low-to-medium-rise townhouses, condos and parkettes on the land nearest the lake, with larger offices and stores situated on Queens Quay East.
For years, Ms. Wilkey and about 20 St. Lawrence residents have bird-dogged WT's precinct-planning process, providing detailed feedback on how the agency should build out the last big chunk of Toronto's central waterfront. Now, the long-running revitalization saga is moving into a high-stakes phase as WT embarks on a search for a developer with the capital and savvy to turn those elegant plans into a $1-billion reality.
Next week, WT will put out a call to the global development industry to build 1.7 million square feet of residential and mixed-use development in the East Bayfront between Cherry and Jarvis Streets. The project will include numerous offices, apartments, stores and small cultural venues. WT expects to select a developer by late fall.
In recent months, WT chief executive John Campbell has made the rounds in New York, letting investors know that a big project is in the pipeline. Yesterday, he touted the deal to 200 Canadian builders. And later this month, Mr. Campbell flies to Cannes, France, to pitch the scheme to European and Asian investors at a giant trade show for 28,000 developers, retailers and property companies.
Whether well-capitalized developers express interest remains to be seen. Mr. Campbell's strategy is to cast the net broadly and entice international builders with experience in large urban renewal projects featuring high-end, sustainable design. Many are European. "We're not being terribly prescriptive," he says. "We don't want it to be like an office park in Markham or all residential. Getting the right mix is part of the art of development."
It's a tense moment for local watchdogs like Ms. Wilkey, who fret about what will become of years of painstaking planning.
The WT's renewed interest in commercial development comes on the heels of two recent projects slated for the East Bayfront: a $160-million office building for Corus Entertainment, now under construction at the foot of Jarvis Street; and the rumoured approval of a new campus for George Brown College, to be located next to Corus. Both will face the lake and draw thousands of people to the area.
At the same time, several landowners with real-estate holdings in the East Bayfront have asked the Ontario Municipal Board for approval to erect high-rise condo towers along the north side of Queens Quay East.
While the tussle over residential vs. office use starts to intensify, other issues are coming to light. For instance, the owners of the Redpath sugar refinery have gone to Queen's Park, demanding guarantees that condos planned for the East Bayfront will have adequate sound protection so that the plant won't face pressure to relocate once the area becomes home to hundreds of apartment dwellers.
Despite all the uncertainty, Ms. Wilkey is anxious to see what emerges as word of the massive East Bayfront deal reaches the global development industry. As she admits, "We have lots to learn from other parts of the world."
AoD
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Fair Comment:
Slips in schedules are to be expected, but no actual construction has started? I mean, the Spadina Slip, West Don Lands doesn't count?
As to the foot of Yonge Street - the land was never publically owned until recently.
You might not like it, but the studies are needed to flesh out a coherent vision of the waterfront. Quite frankly, I am willing to wait instead of having to put up with yet another Huang & Danczsky nightmare.
AoD
Slips in schedules are to be expected, but no actual construction has started? I mean, the Spadina Slip, West Don Lands doesn't count?
As to the foot of Yonge Street - the land was never publically owned until recently.
You might not like it, but the studies are needed to flesh out a coherent vision of the waterfront. Quite frankly, I am willing to wait instead of having to put up with yet another Huang & Danczsky nightmare.
AoD
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
From the Post:
A vision for the next waterfront
Posted: March 07, 2008, 6:13 PM by Rob Roberts
By Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Toronto is set to take the next step in transforming “some of the best real estate in Canada†from a patchwork of parking lots, sports complexes and vacant buildings into a vibrant waterfront destination.
East Bayfront, between Jarvis and Parliaments streets, is described as the “jewel†of the city’s future lakefront for its sweet location just east of the Redpath sugar refinery. Roughly the size of New York’s Battery Park City, Waterfront Toronto officials want it to be an example for the entire strip.
“Other neighbourhoods will be more residential, but this is the one that really is going to be the magic. It’s going to have to have the employment, the residential, the cultural, the entertainment,†said John Campbell, president and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, which is leading the massive, $17-billion makeover of more than 800 hectares.
“It really is going to be the heart of the waterfront, so it’s absolutely critical to do it right.â€
Work is already under way for a parcel of the area known as Dockside, which includes Sugar Beach, the new park at the foot of Jarvis Street, and First Waterfront Place, the new Corus Entertainment headquarters being built by Toronto Economic Development Corporation. Some of the space has been saved for an educational campus that has not been formally announced, although George Brown College has been involved in discussions.
Waterfront Toronto is now turning its attention to two additional sections called Parkside and Bayside, worth about $1-billion, to the east of Dockside. The agency will release a “request for a qualifications†on Friday, in the hopes of shortlisting a team of developers and architects who will then be asked to submit a detailed designed proposal. A winner will be announced by the end of the year.
Developers from as far away as the Middle East, Australia and the United Kingdom, along with local talent, have already expressed an interest in Bayside and Parkside, Mr. Campbell told reporters today.
“We think this is probably some of the best real estate in Canada, so it deserves a real good look from developers around the world,†he said.
Waterfront Toronto has not stipulated how much of East Bayfront has to be residential, but has restricted the tallest buildings to the corners where Jarvis, Sherbourne and Parliament streets meet Lakeshore Boulevard. They are called “gateway towers†and could reach up to 40 storeys. Buildings would get progressively lower as they move south, with about four to six floors at the lakefront.
“The water’s edge has to be for the people of Toronto. That’s the fundamental principle underlying plan. We know that from what happened on the Harbourfront side. It’s starting to work much better now that we’ve brought back the water’s edge to the people,†Mayor David Miller said today.
Indeed, avoiding another condo alley is top of mind for Toronto Waterfront’s steering committee, which will be looking for “the right mix†in the proposals, said Mr. Campbell. “If it does become strictly residential it will be boring, if it is all office space, it will be boring ... really what we will be looking for is that mix that gives it the buzz, which is so important.â€
About half of East Bayfront’s land is privately owned.
Both Mr. Campbell and Mr. Miller underscored the importance of accessible transit in the overall plan, noting that an environmental assessment is already underway for light rail transit.
Waterfront Toronto wants all residences to be within a five-minute walk from transit stops, and is mandating that all buildings be LEED Gold certified.
“We’re asking people to do things differently,†Mr. Campbell acknowledged, which has led to “animated†discussions at the city level.
Occasionally, city staff will be the ones to blaze a trail, which is what happened when they proposed a dutch-style street, called a woonerf, where cars travel at a walking pace and children are encouraged to play on the street. Woonerfs may appear in the West Don Lands. “We try to ush the envelope, and on certain occasions they push the envelope for us,†said Mr. Campbell.
AoD
A vision for the next waterfront
Posted: March 07, 2008, 6:13 PM by Rob Roberts
By Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Toronto is set to take the next step in transforming “some of the best real estate in Canada†from a patchwork of parking lots, sports complexes and vacant buildings into a vibrant waterfront destination.
East Bayfront, between Jarvis and Parliaments streets, is described as the “jewel†of the city’s future lakefront for its sweet location just east of the Redpath sugar refinery. Roughly the size of New York’s Battery Park City, Waterfront Toronto officials want it to be an example for the entire strip.
“Other neighbourhoods will be more residential, but this is the one that really is going to be the magic. It’s going to have to have the employment, the residential, the cultural, the entertainment,†said John Campbell, president and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, which is leading the massive, $17-billion makeover of more than 800 hectares.
“It really is going to be the heart of the waterfront, so it’s absolutely critical to do it right.â€
Work is already under way for a parcel of the area known as Dockside, which includes Sugar Beach, the new park at the foot of Jarvis Street, and First Waterfront Place, the new Corus Entertainment headquarters being built by Toronto Economic Development Corporation. Some of the space has been saved for an educational campus that has not been formally announced, although George Brown College has been involved in discussions.
Waterfront Toronto is now turning its attention to two additional sections called Parkside and Bayside, worth about $1-billion, to the east of Dockside. The agency will release a “request for a qualifications†on Friday, in the hopes of shortlisting a team of developers and architects who will then be asked to submit a detailed designed proposal. A winner will be announced by the end of the year.
Developers from as far away as the Middle East, Australia and the United Kingdom, along with local talent, have already expressed an interest in Bayside and Parkside, Mr. Campbell told reporters today.
“We think this is probably some of the best real estate in Canada, so it deserves a real good look from developers around the world,†he said.
Waterfront Toronto has not stipulated how much of East Bayfront has to be residential, but has restricted the tallest buildings to the corners where Jarvis, Sherbourne and Parliament streets meet Lakeshore Boulevard. They are called “gateway towers†and could reach up to 40 storeys. Buildings would get progressively lower as they move south, with about four to six floors at the lakefront.
“The water’s edge has to be for the people of Toronto. That’s the fundamental principle underlying plan. We know that from what happened on the Harbourfront side. It’s starting to work much better now that we’ve brought back the water’s edge to the people,†Mayor David Miller said today.
Indeed, avoiding another condo alley is top of mind for Toronto Waterfront’s steering committee, which will be looking for “the right mix†in the proposals, said Mr. Campbell. “If it does become strictly residential it will be boring, if it is all office space, it will be boring ... really what we will be looking for is that mix that gives it the buzz, which is so important.â€
About half of East Bayfront’s land is privately owned.
Both Mr. Campbell and Mr. Miller underscored the importance of accessible transit in the overall plan, noting that an environmental assessment is already underway for light rail transit.
Waterfront Toronto wants all residences to be within a five-minute walk from transit stops, and is mandating that all buildings be LEED Gold certified.
“We’re asking people to do things differently,†Mr. Campbell acknowledged, which has led to “animated†discussions at the city level.
Occasionally, city staff will be the ones to blaze a trail, which is what happened when they proposed a dutch-style street, called a woonerf, where cars travel at a walking pace and children are encouraged to play on the street. Woonerfs may appear in the West Don Lands. “We try to ush the envelope, and on certain occasions they push the envelope for us,†said Mr. Campbell.
AoD
TrickyRicky
Senior Member
Putting aside architectural and aesthetic concerns for a second I am curious to know if people here would find this a desirable place to live?
EnviroTO
Senior Member
I certainly would. I live on the Harbourfront already and love the walking distance amenities. I would hope that all the buildings aren't all the same style as rendered but with different developers on each block that shouldn't be a problem. Besides the waterfront view, parks, and streetcar line there is the Distillery District, St. Lawrence Market, and grocery stores nearby (Loblaws, Dominion, T&T). What is the downside to the area besides winter?
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
I would definitely be interested in living in the East Bayfront area. I would prefer West Donlands, but both plans represent an area that I would like to live in.
adma
Superstar
Honestly, it's the sort of plan that kinda "absorbs" the so-called design deficiencies of the Corus complex--maybe we shouldn't be looking at it in such prima donna terms...
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
East Bayfront the focus of city's waterfront push
Link
Mar 10, 2008 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
The future is closer than you think. On the waterfront, it's unfolding as you read this.
That's not necessarily good news, but neither is it bad. A project as big and complex as this will encompass victories as well as defeats. Even in these early days, we've experienced both.
For the moment, however, the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp, now called Waterfront Toronto (WT), is focused on the East Bayfront – the land east of Yonge to Cherry St. south of Lake Shore Blvd. to Lake Ontario. Later this week, WT will issue two RFQs (request for qualifications) for two sites with this area. The idea is to draw up a short list of development teams that can get shovels into the ground in the months ahead.
Because the process is open, groups from around the world can apply. According to WT CEO John Campbell, there has been interest from as far away as Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
This bodes well for the project, which could use as much foreign input as possible. Though the relentlessly optimistic Campbell is loath to admit it, his agency has had to battle to get city approval to build sustainable communities appropriate to the 21st century.
Let's be honest, planning in Toronto is a bit of a fiasco. That, combined with municipal safety tyrants terrified of change in any form, means that it will difficult for Campbell and his staff to introduce the innovations they want. That includes narrow streets, small blocks, district heating, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods organized around parks and public transit, radical stuff Toronto hasn't seen for more than 50 years.
However, WT has already lost two major battles; the Corus building at the foot of Jarvis St. and the Pier 27 condo complex at the foot of Yonge. The former is suburban and banal; the latter, though exquisite, will be situated on land that should have been dedicated to the public realm.
On the other hand, the waterfront's new green spaces have the potential to become huge civic assets. That's if the city parks department can afford to maintain them, no sure thing at this point in Toronto's history.
Plans call for low-rise development close to the shore, four to six storeys, rising to the north. At important corners – Jarvis, Sherbourne and Parliament – "gateway towers" of up to 40 floors would be allowed. A 19-metre wide promenade will extend along the water's edge, lined with retail, commercial and residential buildings. That other goal, design excellence, has also turned out to be tougher than expected, at least if Corus is any indication. At the same time, Campbell says he has signed highly regarded New York architect Stephen Holl to do the District Heating Centre. But already one can see storm clouds ; condo towers can turn even the most mild-mannered Torontonian into a raging NIMBYite. Given the history of Queens Quay west of Yonge, this isn't hard to understand.
As Campbell rightly points out, this is some of the most desirable real estate in Canada. The pressure to maximize returns on investment will be enormous; but because this is the waterfront, and arguably Toronto's last chance to get it right, the important returns are those that will go to citizens, not corporations.
Christopher Hume can be reached at chume@thestar.ca.
Link
Mar 10, 2008 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
The future is closer than you think. On the waterfront, it's unfolding as you read this.
That's not necessarily good news, but neither is it bad. A project as big and complex as this will encompass victories as well as defeats. Even in these early days, we've experienced both.
For the moment, however, the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp, now called Waterfront Toronto (WT), is focused on the East Bayfront – the land east of Yonge to Cherry St. south of Lake Shore Blvd. to Lake Ontario. Later this week, WT will issue two RFQs (request for qualifications) for two sites with this area. The idea is to draw up a short list of development teams that can get shovels into the ground in the months ahead.
Because the process is open, groups from around the world can apply. According to WT CEO John Campbell, there has been interest from as far away as Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
This bodes well for the project, which could use as much foreign input as possible. Though the relentlessly optimistic Campbell is loath to admit it, his agency has had to battle to get city approval to build sustainable communities appropriate to the 21st century.
Let's be honest, planning in Toronto is a bit of a fiasco. That, combined with municipal safety tyrants terrified of change in any form, means that it will difficult for Campbell and his staff to introduce the innovations they want. That includes narrow streets, small blocks, district heating, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods organized around parks and public transit, radical stuff Toronto hasn't seen for more than 50 years.
However, WT has already lost two major battles; the Corus building at the foot of Jarvis St. and the Pier 27 condo complex at the foot of Yonge. The former is suburban and banal; the latter, though exquisite, will be situated on land that should have been dedicated to the public realm.
On the other hand, the waterfront's new green spaces have the potential to become huge civic assets. That's if the city parks department can afford to maintain them, no sure thing at this point in Toronto's history.
Plans call for low-rise development close to the shore, four to six storeys, rising to the north. At important corners – Jarvis, Sherbourne and Parliament – "gateway towers" of up to 40 floors would be allowed. A 19-metre wide promenade will extend along the water's edge, lined with retail, commercial and residential buildings. That other goal, design excellence, has also turned out to be tougher than expected, at least if Corus is any indication. At the same time, Campbell says he has signed highly regarded New York architect Stephen Holl to do the District Heating Centre. But already one can see storm clouds ; condo towers can turn even the most mild-mannered Torontonian into a raging NIMBYite. Given the history of Queens Quay west of Yonge, this isn't hard to understand.
As Campbell rightly points out, this is some of the most desirable real estate in Canada. The pressure to maximize returns on investment will be enormous; but because this is the waterfront, and arguably Toronto's last chance to get it right, the important returns are those that will go to citizens, not corporations.
Christopher Hume can be reached at chume@thestar.ca.
spaced
Active Member
http://www3.thestar.com/static/PDF/080313_waterfront.pdf
George Brown eyes lakefront TheStar.com - GTA - George Brown eyes lakefron
College in talks to build new campus for its scattered health science students
March 13, 2008
Louise Brown
Education Reporter
It would be a school for wellness by the water, George Brown College's dream of a lakefront campus where all its scattered student nurses and gerontologists and dental hygienists and hearing specialists and personal support workers could learn together in one airy new complex.
The downtown community college is negotiating with land agency Waterfront Toronto to see if it can realize that sweet dream not far from Redpath Sugar near the foot of Sherbourne St.
"We're a landlocked institution that's doubled its students in the past eight years, which is hugely exciting, but we need to grow and expand our footprint," said George Brown president Anne Sado.
"We're a downtown college with a focus on the arts and creative communications and hospitality and construction – so we align well with the sectors of growth in Toronto," she said.
While talks are still hush-hush and there has been no money pledged yet by Queen's Park, Waterfront Toronto officials say a college campus would be just what's needed to breathe life, youth and a cultural pulse into this sleepy corner of downtown.
"To have students on the waterfront would make it absolutely vital; they would animate the area year-round, not just in summer," said Marisa Piattelli, vice-president of government relations, communications and strategic initiatives for Waterfront Toronto, the public agency that manages Toronto's lakeshore.
The college wants to lease land from the city at the heart of the East Bayfront strip of shoreline being developed between Jarvis St. and Cherry St. The 0.7 hectares sit east of the Jarvis St. slip and just east of the Corus Entertainment complex that is under construction.
"We'd like to amalgamate all our health science students from the three or four locations they're spread over at the moment into one complex where they could train in the sort of teams they'll work in when they graduate," said Sado.
The college also hopes it could open its first student residence there, plus a new sports centre.
"We get students from all over the country and world, yet at the moment, we can only offer them housing lists. We'd like to be able to provide a residence," said Sado, whose college has jumped to 15,000 full-time students from 7,500 in 2000.
Students already have approved a levy to help pay for a new fitness centre; the current athletic facilities at two of the college's campuses are showing their age, she said.
George Brown has been growing already; it is adding 18,000 square feet on its food service building at 300 Adelaide St.; it purchased the old Pasquale Brothers building at 215 King St. E. to provide another 20,000 square feet, and leased 30,000 square feet at a Richmond St. E. building for graphic design and digital media; and has created more space at its Casa Loma campus for emergency management and English as a second language.
Yet it still has health science students scattered across town, with nursing on King St. and hearing specialists and dental hygienists at the Casa Loma campus and prosthetics technicians at the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and gerontology at Ryerson University.
"The future of the health-care professions is to provide care in teams, so we've introduced the whole concept of team-based, interdisciplinary training," said Sado.
"If we could amalgamate health sciences by the lake, we could open up room on the other campuses to expand apprenticeships and trades programs by up to 40 per cent over the next five years," she added.
"We feel very strongly we have to grow to help Ontario's looming labour shortage."
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/345322