McMaster University

[king10]

Any idea if or when the wall is coming down from the new Mac continuing ed location inside Jackson Square? Right now it just lools like a temporary white wall across from urban planet and Pams Coffee.

[SteelTown]

Multipurpose ‘Living Learning Centre’ to be built on campus

The University has approved construction of a new multipurpose building that includes a student residence, new classrooms and much-needed student activity and lounge space.

Construction will begin next year on the 12-storey, 359,000 square-foot Living Learning Centre, to be located at the site of buildings T-28 and T-29.

The $118M project is being financed by the University. It will provide residence accommodations for 500 first year and upper year students.

Research shows that students who stay in residence develop stronger relationships and support networks, leading to a more positive overall student experience.

“McMaster is one of only two universities in Ontario that cannot guarantee residence to all first-year students because we don’t have enough space,” said Sean Van Koughnett, Dean of Students. “Residence is an important factor in enabling student success, and 500 residence beds will go a long way toward meeting the demand for this type of experience.”

The building will also be home to the Student Wellness Centre, Student Accessibility Services and the Children’s Centre daycare, which was temporarily relocated to the west side of campus after construction began on L.R. Wilson Hall.

“The Living Learning Centre won’t just be a residence,” said President Patrick Deane. “It will address some of the student activity and study space issues identified in the 2011 campus capacity study.”

That study identified significant campus shortages of student health services space and student study, lounge and meeting space.

The Living Learning Centre will also include dining facilities and one level of underground parking.

Its completion is targeted for September 2019.
- See more at: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article....LYG2Uwhn.dpuf

[king10]

Wow 12 stories 359 000 square feet, 500 student res spaces, and $118 million, thats a substantial project. After 20 years of use the "temporary" T-28 and T-29 buildings are coming down.


Mac only has 3600 residence beds, this addition of 500 more will add some serious space. Also at 12 stories, this will be the tallest building on campus surpassing brandon hall by 1 floor. (assuming floor heights are the same on each building)

[Bubba9000]

Any idea if or when the wall is coming down from the new Mac continuing ed location inside Jackson Square?

The units behind the wall are not part of McMaster, and are still for lease. They were vacated and reno'd to accommodate McMaster coming in. Later this week you'll see the graphic replaced with non-McMaster 'for lease' marketing graphics.

[king10]

Originally Posted by Bubba9000

The units behind the wall are not part of McMaster, and are still for lease. They were vacated and reno'd to accommodate McMaster coming in. Later this week you'll see the graphic replaced with non-McMaster 'for lease' marketing graphics.

Interesting, thanks for that info. I never knew it wasn't part of the Mac continuing ed complex.

[oldcoote]

Originally Posted by king10

Mac only has 3600 residence beds, this addition of 500 more will add some serious space.

Not if they raise enrollment by 500. Which they probably will.

[king10]

Originally Posted by oldcoote

Not if they raise enrollment by 500. Which they probably will.

adding 500 sleeping spaces and over 300 000 square feet of space will substantially increase sleeping (space) regardless of whether they increase enrollment. the two are independent of each other.

there will be more space on campus because of this building. if they increase enrollment yes it will be just as congested but there will still be more usable space than before (which is what I meant). This will be one of the largest buildings on campus.

[king10]

Mac is also renovationg the student centre which has become congested...

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article...tudent-centre/

More seating and better traffic flow are just two of the improvements coming to the Student Centre.

Renovations will take place over the next two summers, and will include increased seating in the food court area, the addition of bar stools on the upper floor of the building and a second staircase at the Arts Quad entrance.

The upgrades, made possible by the Student Life Enhancement Fund, are the result of student voting which took place earlier this year.

Nearly 2,000 students voted for a number of projects, and cited upgrades to MUSC as a priority.

The building’s Starbucks will also be renovated to expand its reach closer to Compass, creating a coffee shop study space for students.

The adjacent MUSC entrance will move down to accommodate the expansion.

Compass will also be given a renovation and the atrium will be equipped with a new, permanent sound system. A large screen will accompany this and will be installed in the atrium area over the fireplace.

[ScreamingViking]

McMaster is going to have to start building taller like this if they want to continue growth on the main campus.

Or build on some of the large parking lots, and replace them with underground parking.

[king10]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

McMaster is going to have to start building taller like this if they want to continue growth on the main campus.

Or build on some of the large parking lots, and replace them with underground parking.

Agreed. Space is limited on campus. There will be an underground parking lot in this building.

Other options could be to develop West Campus on the other side of Cootes drive where the massive parking lots are.

Or perhaps annex part of the grass oval dividing forsyth and mayfair. Does Mac already own that grassy area?

The next big project on campus could be the replacement of the aging pool, perhaps coinciding with Hamilton's 2030 commonwealth games bid.

[ScreamingViking]

I think The Oval land belongs to Mac, but I doubt it will ever be developed. Perhaps another playing field would work if anything more than passive use is needed (there would likely be opposition to any buildings from the residents in those homes on Mayfair anyway)

There are also a couple other temporary buildings that could be replaced, prime land on the lots north of the Sterling entrance, and the lot at the south end of Cootes Drive near Main.

Preserving open landscaped spaces will be important on the main campus as well. They do get a lot of use during the school year.

There's also the Innovation Park land for new research/lab space. And I'd really like to see Mac put more new buildings downtown.

[king10]

Ya there is another temporary building located beside the engineering building and the psych building.

Those other spaces you mentioned are currently surface parking areas so they would have to include underground parking if they were to develop buildings on that land.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by king10

Agreed. Space is limited on campus. There will be an underground parking lot in this building.

Other options could be to develop West Campus on the other side of Cootes drive where the massive parking lots are.

Or perhaps annex part of the grass oval dividing forsyth and mayfair. Does Mac already own that grassy area?

The next big project on campus could be the replacement of the aging pool, perhaps coinciding with Hamilton's 2030 commonwealth games bid.

If I remember correctly some of that parking lot off Cootes is being closed up and the area is being re naturalized.

[Markus83]

https://instagram.com/p/5Z1-nbA7b6/?tagged=mcsu

I found this on instagram, hopefully people can use this link to see it. Very rough rendering.

[Markus83]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...2019-1.3114451

Here's a link describing the project. I know it's already been posted by someone from a different site but this one has a picture of the campus and where the building will be situated. Apparently they will be demolishing two portable buildings in order to build it. Should be a nice building.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Markus83

https://instagram.com/p/5Z1-nbA7b6/?tagged=mcsu

I found this on instagram, hopefully people can use this link to see it. Very rough rendering.

Rough caricature for a front page is more like it. I actually laughed when I saw that. Modelled after Landmark Place no doubt.
But really, thanks for sharing that.

(I do miss reading The Sil... their spring Hamilton Speculator issue was always funny and very politically incorrect, even in the days when I was at the school and political correctness was becoming vogue; I imagine it's tamer now?)

[SteelTown]

McMaster to build off-campus grad student housing
University request seeks partners to build 300 to 500 grad student apartments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...sing-1.3182026

McMaster University wants to make finding housing easier for its more than 4,000 graduate students.

The university posted an announcement Thursday looking for a private partner for an off-campus housing complex for 300 to 500 grad students.

While the university already operates 12 undergrad residences with 3,600 beds, this would be the first off-campus and the first graduate residence.​

The building would be a joint project between the developer and the university, and the project could use the McMaster name, like "McMaster Graduate Student Residence."

It's an acknowledgment that the university's current housing offerings don't quite fit the grad student bill.

"Some have partners living with them, in some cases they have children," said Gord Arbeau, director of public and community relations at McMaster. "They're looking for larger accommodations, for in-unit kitchens, food prep areas."

And grad students are "less inclined to want to be on-campus," Arbeau said.

The university wants the project to be within a 30-minute car or transit commute of the campus, and within walking distance to parks and green space. The project would have to be off-campus, but the university would consider buying the land.

In 2013, the university polled 700 grad students on their preferences for housing. Here are their top five needs:

high speed internet
in-house laundry
wireless internet
cooking facilities in each unit
proximity or ease of travel to campus

The developer would need to offer the apartments — likely a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units — at rental rates that are comparable to downtown Hamilton. But beyond that, the university is open to suggestions.

The request for proposals also indicated the university would be open to hearing separate ideas for undergrad housing, too.

The deadline for potential partners to submit paperwork to the school to be qualified is Oct. 9.

[lucasmascotto]

I am ridiculously excited to hear this announcement! I hope it's in the downtown core and is shovel ready for Spring 2016.

[ScreamingViking]

Wonder if there are any suitable empty lots close to the future LRT corridor. Could there be? Maybe?

[markbarbera]

There would be plenty shovel-ready sites directly on the LRT line, if it were running along Main rather than King