UOİT Expansion to Downtown Oshawa
Council OKs transfer of Regent to UOIT
SABRINA BYRNES / METROLAND
Faculty of criminology will move to downtown Oshawa next fall
Oct 08, 2009 - 08:41 PM
http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/article/137354
By Jillian Follert
OSHAWA -- UOIT will be moving its faculty of criminology, justice and policy studies to downtown Oshawa next fall, as part of a new development on the Regent Theatre property.
At a special meeting on Thursday, council voted to transfer ownership of the beleaguered landmark to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, bringing an end to the controversy that has plagued Glyn Laverick’s ownership.
UOIT is partnering with London Investments Corporation to acquire the theatre.
The plan will see London Investments buy the entire Regent property and transfer ownership of the theatre to UOIT. The undeveloped back lot will be used for a five-storey, 30,000 square foot building, which will be leased to the university for classroom, office and meeting space for the faculty of criminology.
UOIT President Ron Bordessa said the faculty has more than 1,000 students and is growing rapidly with about 2,000 students expected in the next few years.
He confirmed the Regent will be used for university purposes during the day and theatre uses in the evening, under the supervision of a theatre management professional.
Mr. Bordessa noted Mr. Laverick’s agreement with the City requires 100 events to be staged at the theatre per calendar year -- something that will be taken out when the agreement is transferred to the university. But, he said that doesn’t mean they intend to be lax about bringing acts to the venue.
“It will be conducted as a business, it will be managed professionally,” he said. “We want to see it used as much as possible because it will be a profit centre for us.”
As for the volume of events, Mr. Bordessa said he doesn’t know how many they will be aiming for per year, only that UOIT officials hope it will be “substantially more than 100.”
The Regent was appraised at $2.326 million last fall, but UOIT and London Investments say in a recent letter to the City, that the agreed upon purchase price is “considerably less.”
Councillors are optimistic about the new owners, but some expressed concerns about potential costs to the City, because UOIT and London Investments are asking for financial assistance.
The incoming owners want the City to close off Victoria Street between King Street and Bond Street to allow for a pedestrian walkway and “public open space” to be created, and to provide financial assistance for that work in the 2010 budget.
UOIT is also asking for a 99-year lease for 100 parking spots near the theatre, and a 99-year lease for the 150 parking spaces assigned in 2008 to accommodate UOIT’s faculty of education on Simcoe Street.
No cost estimate for the Victoria Street project will be available until after development plans are complete. Council voted to refer the matter to the 2010 budget process, which City Manager Bob Duignan stressed, does not commit the City to spend any money.
On the matter of parking, council directed City staff to investigate the request, but again, did not make any commitments.
Mr. Duignan said it is vital for the City to make parking available for downtown developments, noting council has a longstanding policy that requires it to do so.
“Without the parking, UOIT can’t justify the development,” he said. “Like any other developer, they want to know that if they invest millions in the downtown, there will be parking.”
The City has rates that apply to short term and leased parking spots in the downtown, and Mr. Duignan said UOIT will pay for its spots -- although the university may get a volume discount for leasing so many.
A City report says Mr. Laverick has made “significant progress” towards a permanent occupancy permit for the theatre, and is expected get a final sign off in mid-October, which is a condition of the purchase and sale agreement.
The sale of the Regent property is expected to close on Oct. 30.