Western - 2 new residences - University Dr. and Richmond, Platts Lane - 1000 units

jammer139 · #1 Posted **Aug 18, 2023, 5:15 PM**

Western announces the locations for two new buildings to house 1000 students. Designs to be released this Fall. Full completion by 2026.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...-1000-students

jammer139 · #2 Posted **Aug 19, 2023, 7:50 PM**

Hopefully Western hires a architect and builds a 20s plus iconic tower for the University Dr and Richmond St entrance residence building they are planning. Great opportunity to build a high rise residence with some unique architectural elements to make a statement at their eastern entrance. Building tall will allow more density and more units.

jammer139 · #3 Posted **Nov 10, 2023, 9:20 PM**

McMaster had their ground breaking today for their latest residence building. Hopefully Western announces their designs for the two new residences that they are supposed to announce this Fall.

https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/articl...roundbreaking/

jammer139 · #4 Posted **Dec 23, 2023, 4:42 PM**

Well the Fall has come and gone and the semester has wrapped up but no announcements regarding the two new residences were made as stated last August.

Their statement about having these units ready by Fall 2025 may be delayed now if they can't even confirm the plans on time.

jammer139 · #5 Posted **Feb 3, 2024, 8:57 PM**

February has arrived and still nothing from Western administration on the plans for the 2 new residences they announced back in August 2023. At that time they said they would release their plans in the Fall of 2023 with the goal of having the projects ready for Sept 2025.

This article speaks about the federal government support to build more student housing and Westerns goal to get to 50,000 students by 2030.

https://westerngazette.ca/news/admin...dc8b75bd3.html

MolsonExport · #6 Posted **Feb 3, 2024, 10:49 PM**

Budget details coming soon, at UWO senate meeting in a couple of weeks' time

jammer139 · #7 Posted **Mar 28, 2024, 2:14 PM**

So given the news about International Students will Western proceed with their previously announced new residence buildings now?

https://torontosun.com/news/provinci...-province-says

Dither City · #8 Posted **Apr 5, 2024, 4:44 PM**

More information on the new residents on Richmond St at UWO.

https://london.ca/business-developme...-1163-richmond

http://www.atrr.ca/projects/in-progr...rive-residence

jammer139 · #9 Posted **Apr 5, 2024, 5:15 PM**

Great news to see they still intend to go ahead with this residence building. Renders look good. Should have zero push back from NIMBYs but would not be surprised someone will complain.

Would be interesting to hear what went into going with a low rise building with a broad footprint vs a iconic tall tower as a gateway showpiece to the entrance to the main campus. Would also allow for a second tall tower in the future just to the west.

Also no news on the second residence building that was talked about off Platts Lane? Whats up with that?

CanadianTalk · #10 Posted **Apr 5, 2024, 5:33 PM**

Thanks for sharing! The Richmond St and University Dr building is proposed to be 8 stories and contain 259 residential suites (772 bedrooms).

tyeman200 · #11 Posted **Apr 5, 2024, 11:39 PM**

Looks decent, I was wondering when Western was going to do something with that vacant space.

jammer139 · #12 Posted **Apr 10, 2024, 4:04 PM**

City webpage link with additional documents.

https://london.ca/business-developme...-1163-richmond

CanadianTalk · #13 Posted **Apr 11, 2024, 6:30 PM**

The province announced a new housing bill yesterday, and I found this part of it interesting...

Quote:

Publicly assisted universities will be exempted from the Planning Act, the provincial rules that govern housing construction in Ontario. That means universities could push through projects without the need to request new zoning for the area or certain site plan requirements.

The government said the move would bring universities in line with publicly assisted colleges. The changes would allow projects to sidestep the majority of municipal bureaucracy around homebuilding, potentially saving years of planning consultations and requests.

Global News article: https://globalnews.ca/news/10414592/...upply-updates/

Western officially submitted their zoning request for the Richmond site just last week, so I wonder if this exemption could actually apply here... and thus this zoning application would not need to continue.

jammer139 · #14 Posted **Apr 11, 2024, 7:57 PM**

Would be a good thing if it also eliminates the OLT appeal process.

I suspect they would still need to submit a Detailed Site Plan application and Building Permit application to the municipality.

Saving the zoning application phase will definitely speed up the process.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

The province announced a new housing bill yesterday, and I found this part of it interesting...

Global News article: https://globalnews.ca/news/10414592/...upply-updates/

Western officially submitted their zoning request for the Richmond site just last week, so I wonder if this exemption could actually apply here... and thus this zoning application would not need to continue.

jammer139 · #15 Posted **Apr 20, 2024, 2:23 AM**

LFP article on this new residence building.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...ichmond-street

ssiguy · #16 Posted **Apr 21, 2024, 6:06 PM**

Western can always use more housing but it's a shame they didn't build one downtown as I'm sure the City would be willing to give them one of their empty parking lots to do it.

Of course this is Western which has never shown any interest in London itself. We are still waiting for the "big announcement" of a Western investment is downtown that was imminent. Western's commitments to downtown have as much validity as the infamous Ring Road............always studied, never built but the discussion comes up every decade.

MolsonExport · #17 Posted **Apr 23, 2024, 1:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Western can always use more housing but it's a shame they didn't build one downtown as I'm sure the City would be willing to give them one of their empty parking lots to do it.

Of course this is Western which has never shown any interest in London itself. We are still waiting for the "big announcement" of a Western investment is downtown that was imminent. Western's commitments to downtown have as much validity as the infamous Ring Road............always studied, never built but the discussion comes up every decade.

Yeah, the recent budget numbers* came out...the downtown 'campus' is listed as a future project. We are hamstrung by the frozen grants from the government (at 2015 levels) and the 10% cut to tuition from 2018 (which has since been frozen). Consequently, funding per student is the lowest of all 10 provinces, by quite a bit.

The priority seems to be on building STEM-prowess at UWO. Engineering is getting a (yet another) new building, the fourth such new building since I started working at UWO. Planned renos for other buildings on campus has been put on ice.

*https://uwo.ca/univsec//pdf/senate/m...24apr19sen.pdf

ssiguy · #18 Posted **Apr 23, 2024, 5:23 PM**

Thanks for the update.

This is what Western has done for decades. There is always a "future Project" for the downtown which has never materialized and never will. Even when times were better and the school had much more funding per-capita, it was always just around the corner. Western could be given a $1 Billion and they would still find an excuse yet somehow Fanshawe has managed.

Western has always wanted as little to do with the City as humanly possible.

MolsonExport · #19 Posted **Apr 23, 2024, 5:43 PM**

The building that they acquired downtown is a shadow of the very large twin buildings owned by Fanshawe College downtown.

UWO happens to be in London, but it is true, alas, that it has largely turned its back on London.

jammer139 · #20 Posted **Apr 23, 2024, 8:01 PM**

Not sure why Western would want to build a residence building in the downtown? They have land on the campus and near campus they can use for new residences. Kings College for example purchased most of the St Peters Seminary property from the Diocese for future expansion. Would not be surprised that they build a residence and future educational buildings there. And obviously all the Brescia lands will be used down the road for future growth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Western can always use more housing but it's a shame they didn't build one downtown as I'm sure the City would be willing to give them one of their empty parking lots to do it.

Of course this is Western which has never shown any interest in London itself. We are still waiting for the "big announcement" of a Western investment is downtown that was imminent. Western's commitments to downtown have as much validity as the infamous Ring Road............always studied, never built but the discussion comes up every decade.