Balsillie Campus | 38 , 12 m | 11 , 3 fl

[UrbanWaterloo]

Balsillie Campus
67 Erb Street West, Waterloo
Balsillie School of International Affairs (www.balsillieschool.ca)
Construction Updates (http://www.cigionline.org/project/balsillie-campus-construction) | Construction Photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cigi_media/sets/72157622597796198/)
Videos: CIGI YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/cigivideos) | CIGI (http://balsilliecampus.cigionline.org/) | VIMEO (http://vimeo.com/9135942)
The CIGI Master Plan (http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/DS_DEVAPPROV_documents/CIGIMasterPlan.pdf) | Cooper Construction (www.coopercon.com)
Scheduled for substantial completion by August 1, 2011.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (www.kpmbarchitects.com)
Development Phasing Map (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php/49-Balsillie-School-of-International-Affairs-38-12-m-11-3-fl?p=231#post231)

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/BalsilleSchoolPerspectiveViewFromNorthWest.JPG

Phase | Use | Size (sq. ft.) | Building Height | Parking Spaces
1 | Balsillie School of International Affairs | 65 000 sf | 3 storey | 35
2 | Academic Building | 35 000 sf | 3 storey | 20
3 | Mixed-Use - Academic{br}Mixed-Use - Residential | 12 000 sf{br}73 000 sf | 11 storey | 79
4 | Academic | 35 000 sf | 3 storey | 20
Total | | 220 000 sf | | 154

[UrbanWaterloo]

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/BalsilleSchoolDevelopmentConceptPlan.JPG

Balsillie gives $33-million for international relations school
ELIZABETH CHURCH
The Globe and Mail
Monday, June 25, 2007

Jim Balsillie, the high-tech entrepreneur and would-be NHL owner, is now also the namesake of a new school of international relations he helped found today with a $33-million donation.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs will open next year in Waterloo, Ont., and will offer graduate programs in global governance and international public policy in conjunction with the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Mr. Balsillie, co-founder of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, also announced that he will give an additional $17-million to the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a Waterloo-based independent think tank he founded in 2002.

The new school eventually will be located in a new building beside the governance centre on land that is currently owned by the city.

As part of today's announcement, the centre said Mr. Balsillie's $50-million in donations will trigger additional investments from the city's two universities of about $25-million each over the next decade. These combined $100-million in funding is the largest initiative in the social sciences in Canada, it said.

Mr. Balsillie said both Waterloo and Canada have much to offer “a deeper understanding” of global governance.

“The issues of today are borderless. It's a different world, an accelerated world,” he said.

“Ideas and creative thinking ... can go a long way in shaping our nation's contribution towards what is to be the world's future.”

The Balsillie School will bring together core studies of political science, economics and history with related disciplines of geography, global studies, environmental studies and business.

The school is scheduled to open in 2008 and is expected to move into its new building by 2009.



A new world-class school
Balsillie funds Waterloo effort to grapple with global issues
BARBARA AGGERHOLM AND BRIAN CALDWELL, WATERLOO (Jun 26, 2007)
http://www.therecord.com/links/links_07062715526.html

http://www.therecord.com/images/kwr/kwr1082956_1.jpg
Jim Balsillie pauses for a moment inside the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the non-profit research centre which he founded in 2002. The new school for international affairs will further develop expertise in global development issues.

http://www.therecord.com/images/kwr/kwr1082956_2.jpg
Jim Balsillie

A school of international affairs named after Jim Balsillie -- a billionaire philanthropist who donated a total of $50 million yesterday-- will be built in the hub of Waterloo's brain centre.

The funds will support both the new school and the work of the nearby Centre for International Governance Innovation, a think-tank started by Balsillie at the corner of Caroline Street and Erb Street West.

"The creation of the Balsillie School of International Affairs represents a giant step forward in understanding Canada's place in the world," said John English, executive director of the centre.

Balsillie will contribute $33 million to the new school, while the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will add $25 million over the next decade.

The gift was announced at a high-profile event at the governance centre, which itself will get $17 million from Balsillie. It's touted as the largest gift in Canadian history to further the social sciences and humanities.

With top researchers and graduate students, the school will help Canada make an important contribution to what Balsillie described as "the issues of our time."

"We have a lot more to do and much we can contribute and I think we should feel encouraged to be bold about it," he said, after receiving a standing ovation.

The school -- to open in early 2008, with a $7.8-million building in place by late 2009 -- will be built on 3.5 acres of city land at the site of the former Seagram distillery, just a stone's throw from the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics.

Also an international think-tank, the Perimeter Institute was established with a huge donation from Mike Lazaridis, Balsillie's partner at BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion.

"We've gone from grain to brain," said University of Waterloo president David Johnston, referring to the site's storied history as a distillery.

Premier Dalton McGuinty was at the event to announce the province will contribute $17 million to the Centre for International Governance Innovation -- matching an amount contributed by Balsillie -- for research on global politics and economics.

"This really is home to some of the best and brightest minds in the world, some of the most creative thinkers and some of the most successful entrepreneurs -- people just like Jim Balsillie," McGuinty said.

University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will jointly offer graduate programs in global governance and international public policy at the new school, which will work closely with the existing centre.

In a borderless, accelerated world, Balsillie said, expertise will be needed to help address issues such as security and terrorism, trade, health, energy and the environment.

Balsillie is giving $33 million toward the new school, and the additional $17 million to support work at the centre, a non-profit, non-partisan research centre he founded in 2002.

He thanked his partners at Research In Motion for helping him make the fortune that allows him to fund such public initiatives.

"I'm really the recipient of the gift, not the donor of the gift," said Balsillie.

McGuinty said Canadians should remember how fortunate they are to live in a prosperous country.

In Liberia, he said, the unemployment rate is 70 per cent and its capital city just got electricity and running water in the downtown core.

McGuinty also cited India, where 300 million people live on less than $1 a day, and in China, which has 700 million people living on less than $2 a day.

"You and I enjoy a quality of life that is second to none," he said. "We are truly blessed."

McGuinty thanked Balsillie for "bringing attention to that area of governance which is the least evolved and, I would argue, the most urgently needed to help humanity address global challenges and seize global opportunities."

Research at the centre, he said, will directly help companies in Ontario compete around the world by providing them with the latest information.

For example, one project will examine how communities abroad are getting their energy and protecting the environment to address global warming.

"That kind of information is vital for us in Ontario as we develop solutions to climate change for sale to the world," said McGuinty.

Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran said the city will give the universities a long-term lease at a nominal rate on the land needed for the school, which may not take up the whole site.

The centre will own the building, and the universities will be responsible for operating it.

Specifics of the deal are still being negotiated and will require a vote of city council, likely in about a month.

The city has owned the land -- valued at about $1 million an acre -- since the closing of the distillery about 15 years ago, but had yet to find a proposal to put it to good use.

"This is the significant project that I think the city has been waiting for," said Halloran.

"We look at the long-term benefits to the city with the creation of jobs. People are going to move here, they're going to need housing, they're going to spend money in our community."

UW president David Johnston described a snowy February day six years ago at a Georgian Bay cottage when Balsillie came up with the idea behind the international governance centre.

Balsillie went out for a long run, and came back with the idea that a centre would address "the moral imperative of the new economy," Johnston said.

"If we can't get along with one another; if we can't govern ourselves, if we can't establish viable communities in each part of the world to govern, then prosperity just goes to nothing," said Johnston, reporting on his conversation with Balsillie then.

WLU president Robert Rosehart said the new school will build on other initiatives already undertaken at Laurier.

For example, there's the Laurier Centre for Global Relations headed by Paul Heinbecker, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations who has a joint appointment with the centre.

There's also the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies headed by Terry Copp; and WLU is also host to the prestigious Academic Council on the United Nations System.

Global issues are all connected, and they need the resources offered by new students, research fellows and the centre, including its massive online research portal dubbed IGLOO, Balsillie said in an interview.

"And now we're putting an education dimension into it," he said.

"This is a great opportunity for us to move the ball down the field, collectively, as a community."

[UrbanWaterloo]

City OKs Balsillie land deal
Prime downtown land will be home to new international affairs school
August 28, 2007
TAMSIN MCMAHON, RECORD STAFF, WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/234229

Waterloo councillors approved plans last night for giving prime downtown land to the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

With a who's who of Waterloo's elite in attendance, councillors agreed to lease 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) of former Seagrams distillery lands at Erb and Caroline streets to the school.

Organizers said the Balsillie School of International Affairs would be a world leader in policy research and herald a new Canadian vision of international governance.

"We should let our imaginations roam on this project," University of Waterloo president David Johnston told a packed council meeting. "This is an opportunity to have something very distinct and very Canadian and an absolute jewel here in our community."

The proposal had drawn fire from Uptown Coun. Ian McLean, who said the city had promised to sell the lands in an public process. Instead, he said, the city rushed into a secretive deal that means forfeiting $1 million a year in property taxes.

The city has seen as many as 30 different proposals for the land, including an offer from Waterloo Town Square developer First Gulf, which wanted to buy the land for $3.5 million and possibly share it with the school.

McLean was the lone vote against school last night.

"It seems obvious to me that this was not an open and transparent process," he said. "The public opinion was not sought. Council made the decision without all the factors to consider."

Other councillors lauded the school, calling it part of a grander vision for the city's core.

"We're on the cusp of something great here in Waterloo," Mayor Brenda Halloran told the meeting, which included Balsillie, presidents of both universities and former MP John English, head of the Centre for International Governance and Innovation.

Balsillie said the school offered something unique to the community.

"There's good opportunism added, there's good math added, but at the core I think the vision is really that these are the issues of our time and I think it's something we should focus on because we can and we're uniquely endowed with the right assets."

The project, a joint venture with CIGI and the universities of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier, calls for a 25,000-square-foot-school, which could be expanded as the school grows, as well as long-term residences.

It is proposed to open in the fall of 2009 and will offer graduate degrees -- two master's degrees by each of the universities and a joint PhD in international affairs and governance.

Waterloo will see many benefits from Balsillie school
August 28, 2007
RAMESH THAKUR AND JORGE HEINE
http://news.therecord.com/article/234178

http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/1e/cf/c05b90a34615b10391fe6fccb815.jpeg
RAMESH THAKUR

http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/ca/2a/1eb9847347cda39109463ee0358b.jpeg
JORGE HEINE

The following is a response to comments by Waterloo Coun. Ian McLean about the agreement to donate land near the city core for the construction of the proposed Balsillie School for International Relations.

We are pleased to see that Waterloo city council takes its due diligence seriously in protecting the city's and taxpayers' interests. Debate and discussion are important to the vitality of a community. We would like to provide our perspectives to the debate.

There is universal agreement today that knowledge is the critical ingredient in continuing economic growth and prosperity. The world has moved into a knowledge economy. The best- trained and best-brained communities will outpace the rest, and the intellectual laggards will also be the economic laggards. It's always worth recalling an old slogan: If you think education is expensive, try the opposite.

The acquisition, creation and transfer of knowledge -- even and indeed particularly for the Silicon Valleys of the world -- is most efficient and effective with a cluster of institutions and a critical mass of experts who work together and motivate and spark one another.

The excitement of intellectual ferment in turn is a major drawing card in enticing the best and the brightest from their present jobs to join the growing group in Kitchener-Waterloo because this is where the action will be as the centre of intellectual gravity in the country. Let's face it, in today's world, the best don't apply -- they choose from any number of attractive competing job offers.

To illustrate, both of us gave up senior diplomatic posts -- one as an ambassador, the other as an assistant secretary-general of the United Nations - to come here because of the exciting intellectual potential on offer. Neither of us retired; we both resigned from our previous posts to accept lower compensation packages. The prospect of having a full-fledged school of international affairs that from the start will aim to compete with the best such schools in the world because of a substantial resource base is immensely alluring.

It will prove no less alluring to other senior scholars and ambitious students. The expansion of student and faculty numbers to the local economy will be significant, and will fuel the twin cities' prosperity. The substantial numbers of new staff at the Balsillie school will inject millions of dollars into the local economy as they buy and furnish houses, buy cars and contribute in a myriad other ways.

There is solid research to back that up. A report at the University of Alaska reviewing the economic impact of higher education found that many states are using their innovative universities as economic engines. In Arizona, taxpayers provided $700 million to its universities and got almost $4 billion back in the form of educated workers, payroll, local purchases, and a broader tax base.

As well as the faculty salaries and student expenditures that will feed directly into the local economy, there will be taxes paid to the federal, provincial and city coffers. An exceptional group of scholars will also mean that they will attract good sums of research grants from national and international funding bodies, and organize national and international conferences. That is, each dollar brought into the region is multiplied as it gets cycled through the local economy.

The new school will add to the demand for farther upmarket hotel and conference facilities to accommodate the growing reputation and use of the institutions here as the nerve centres of this most intelligent community.

A 2007 Deloitte & Touche study found that the estimated economic impact of a proposed new UW campus to the City of Stratford would total $26.7 million annually. The construction of the campus and residence is estimated to generate an additional $56.4 million.

The Balsillie school will be a stable, long-term and significant employer, bringing hundreds of students and researchers into Waterloo's uptown district adding to its enhanced vitality and prosperity. It will build upon the existing investments that both the Perimeter Institute and CIGI have already made in community building and economic growth.

In sum, the new school will strengthen the intellectual capital, sustain the vibrancy and vitality of the K-W and broader regional community, and contribute substantially to the health of the local economy.

Ramesh Thakur is a University of Waterloo professor and distinguished fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Jorge Heine is a CIGI chair at Wilfrid Laurier University.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Faculty gains an author
Balsillie School of International Affairs lands prominent name
January 16, 2008
BARBARA AGGERHOLM - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION
http://news.therecord.com/article/295627

http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/c3/b0/bf7281534cb8bf70a2cb327b8c6a.jpeg
Thomas Homer-Dixon sits by a fire in his Fergus home. The political scientist and author will hold the CIGI chair of global systems at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo.


The new Balsillie School of International Affairs is celebrating its first major coup with the appointment of award-winning author and scholar Thomas Homer-Dixon.

"He's one of the leading scholars on contemporary environmental change," said Ken Coates, dean of arts at the University of Waterloo. "He's very, very well known for his work on global climate change and the appropriate political and social response to that."

Homer-Dixon, who lives with his family in Fergus, is stepping down as director of the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto. There, he holds the George Ignatieff Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies. He has been on faculty at the University of Toronto since 1993.

Homer-Dixon will begin his new job in Waterloo in July. The political scientist will hold the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) chair of global systems at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Coates said.

He'll teach graduate studies at the Balsillie school and will also be on faculty at UW in the political science and environmental studies departments.

Homer-Dixon's wife, Sarah Wolfe, is a new faculty member in UW's environment and resource studies department. Last year, Wolfe was a UW post-doctoral fellow.

Homer-Dixon's books include The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization, which won the 2006 National Business Book Award. He also wrote The Ingenuity Gap, which won the 2001 Governor General's Non-Fiction Award.

The Ingenuity Gap looks at the gap "between our need for ideas to solve complex problems and our actual supply of those ideas," Homer-Dixon's website says. "Poor countries are particularly vulnerable to ingenuity gaps, but our own rich countries are no longer immune, and we're all caught dangerously between a soaring requirement for ingenuity and an increasingly uncertain supply.

"As the gap widens, the result can be political disintegration and violent upheaval."

Coates said the high-profile appointment to the Balsillie school says a great deal about the kind of school that is being developed.

The school will be "socially engaged, socially responsible, academically impeccable."

As a man with a "strong interest in creative, positive, constructive solutions to contemporary problems,"

Homer-Dixon is well suited for his new position, Coates said.

His appointment is a strong beginning for a school that has created excitement among Canada's "intellectual community" since last summer, when Jim Balsillie announced its creation, Coates said.

Homer-Dixon "became interested in us because of the things he heard that were going on."

Balsillie is contributing $33 million to the new school, while University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will add $25 million over the next decade.

UW and WLU will jointly offer graduate programs in global governance and international public policy, working closely with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a think-tank also started by Balsillie.

The new school is to be built at the site of the former Seagram distillery, just a stone's throw from the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics.

Coates said the school will benefit not only from Homer-Dixon's scholarship, but also from his multidisciplinary nature.

"He loves to talk to the folks in the science area, the environmental area, the political area, the economic realm," Coates said. "He works across campus.

"He also believes our role at the university is to engage the public into a constructive dialogue about social change. How do we change the world for the better?"

Meanwhile, UW, WLU and the Centre for International Governance Innovation are now looking for a director for the school.

"We're in the process of identifying folks we want to interviewed," Coates said. "We're very pleased with the interest we've had in that.

"We intend to maintain the pace."


City set to approve prime land donation for Balsillie school
June 23, 2008
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/372056

A controversial plan to donate prime downtown land to the Balsillie School of International Relations is expected to be approved tonight when councillors vote to accept the final lease agreement.

The graduate school will be located on 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) of land that was once home to the Seagrams distillery at Erb and Caroline streets. Under the deal, which takes effect July 1, the City of Waterloo will lease the land for a $1 a year for 99 years.

A three-storey, 50,000-square-foot building will open by the fall of 2010.

A second building, at 35,000 square feet, could be ready by the end of 2012. The second building will house a master's program in law, said John English, executive director for the Centre of International Governance Innovation.

Research In Motion billionaire Jim Balsillie donated $33 million. Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo contributed a combined $25 million for the school.

A director for the school will likely be announced next month, English said yesterday.

English said a graduate school will transform the core area.

The Balsillie school started a year ago with PhD and master's students studying at the local universities.

"It's going to bring very highly qualified and capable people to this community,'' he said. "We will have young and bright people living in the downtown, which is what every city craves.''

"It will make Waterloo the centre for the study of international affairs and build a lot of resources for the community,'' English said.

Within two years, the school could have 100 graduate students, said English
The joint venture is between Balsillie, CIGI, the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Leasing the land to a school means property taxes aren't collected.

If the land had been sold privately, the property could have generated as much as $1 million a year in property taxes, a staff report has said.

Council approved the initial plans nearly a year ago. Coun. Ian McLean was the only politician to vote against the school.

At the time, McLean said council rushed into a secretive agreement with the Balsillie school, rather than selling the lands in an open and public manner.

As of press time, McLean could not be reached for comment.

Simon Farbrother, chief administrative officer for the city, said the Balsillie school in the uptown area is "achieving appropriate balance in managing the tax rate but also looking at the long-term development of the community.''

The school has already attracted award-winning author Thomas Homer-Dixon who begins his job next month as the Centre for International Governance Innovation chair of global systems at the Balsillie school.

Dixon is the former director of the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto.


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http://www.waterloo.ca/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/CS_CLERKS_Minutes_2008/20080623_Packet_Council_Meeting.pdf


Balsillie school gets green light
June 25, 2008
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/373094

The final lease agreement for the Balsillie School of International Relations has been approved by Waterloo council.

"We have become a global city,'' said Coun. Mark Whaley as he praised Research In Motion's Jim Balsillie and the universities for their vision. "People with big ideas are truly welcome here.''

The graduate school will be located on 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres that were once home to the Seagram distillery at Erb and Caroline streets. The three-storey, 50,000-square-foot building is to open on 2010. A second building, which would house a program for a master's of law, could be open by 2012.

Under the agreement approved Monday, the city will lease the land for $1 a year for 99 years. Balsillie donated $35 million for the project, and the two local universities donated $25 million.

Council unanimously voted for the deal. Even Coun. Ian McLean, who opposed the lease when it came up a year ago, was in favour this time. "I won't derail council's decision,'' McLean said after the council meeting, adding he was surprised it took nearly a year to negotiate the details.

He said he still believes the land should have been sold in a more open and public manner.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Thakur named director of Balsillie school
September 25, 2008
By Karen Kawawada, Record staff - Web edition
http://news.therecord.com/News/article/420116

http://media.therecord.com/images/84/b7/105e5edb4c41ae4f25f3f991849e.jpeg

WATERLOO — The Balsillie School of International Affairs isn’t fully up and running yet, but it has its first director.

Ramesh Thakur, who is a University of Waterloo political science professor and fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, has been running the nascent school since the beginning of the month. His appointment is for two years.

The school will build on graduate programs that already exist — one in global governance at the University of Waterloo and one in international public policy at Wilfrid Laurier University.

The school will be unique in collaborating closely with both those universities and the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said Thakur.

Thakur has big plans for the school.

“I think with the sort of backing we have, we would be foolish and negligent not to aspire from the very beginning to being a top-tier internationally-ranked school of international affairs . . . ” he said.

“The word elite comes to mind. There’s a small number of elite schools around the world and we would hope to be part of that group. Elite without being exclusive and insular.”

Thakur said his biggest challenge at the moment is recruiting quality faculty. There are 12 positions posted at the moment.

“We would hope to be able to attract some of the world’s top scholars in these fields to Kitchener-Waterloo,” he said. “The fact we have 12 at the same time should be an attraction in that they will come knowing that there will be critical mass of top-flight researchers and colleagues who will spark interest among students and graduate students.”

Academia is different from when he first went to school and the Balsillie school will reflect that, said Thakur, who was an undergraduate in India and got a PhD from Queen’s University in Kingston in 1978.

“The amount of knowledge that today’s graduates finish off with by the time they earn their degree is substantially higher than what we learned . . . There’s so much more knowledge to process,” he said.
“At the same time . . . the shelf life of any acquired knowledge is also getting shorter. And that’s why, more than rote learning or acquiring knowledge, what’s important is gaining skills to be able to update your knowledge base on an ongoing basis.”

Thakur has had an illustrious career, including faculty positions in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. He was also senior vice-rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo and assistant secretary-general of the United Nations from 2003-2007.

The school will begin enrolling students next year and expects to have its first masters graduates in 2011, the year Thakur expects the school’s building to be completed on a site next to the Centre for International Governance Innovation.


Balsillie names architects for school of international affairs
November 20, 2008
RECORD STAFF - WEB EDITION
http://news.therecord.com/article/447137

WATERLOO -- The Toronto architectural firm of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg will design the building to house the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo.

“This is an important milestone,” Jim Balsille, founder of the school and co-CEO of Research in Motion, said in a news release.

“The school will be the focal point of collaborative interaction between the two local universities -- Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo -- and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), creating one dynamic cluster.”

The 65,000-square-foot building will be located adjacent to the CIGI, and will be bounded by the Seagram Museum, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.

This architectural firm has received 10 Governor General awards for architectural excellence, and locally designed Kitchener City Hall.


KPMB Will Design Balsillie School
November 20, 2008 | Market Watch / Wall Street Journal Digital Network
http://www.kpmbarchitects.com/index.asp?navid=19&fid2=66

WATERLOO, CANADA, Nov 20, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- The Balsillie School of International Affairs continues to move forward with the selection of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB) of Toronto as the firm to design its new home. The project will be directed by Bruce Kuwabara, design partner, and Shirley Blumberg, partner-in-charge.

Internationally recognized for its design excellence, KPMB is the recipient of 10 Governor General's Awards, Canada's highest architectural honor. The firm has developed a broad portfolio encompassing academic, civic, corporate, cultural, mixed-use, hospitality and residential projects located across North America and Europe.

"This is an important milestone," says Jim Balsillie, founder of the school and co-CEO of Research In Motion. "The school will be the focal point of collaborative interaction between the two local universities - Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo - and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), creating one dynamic cluster."
The new school, a 65,000 square foot project, is strategically sited adjacent to CIGI and on the only site in Canada bounded by three Governor General Award-winning buildings - the Seagram Museum (current home of CIGI), the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. The new Balsillie School, with its state of the art teaching spaces and public auditorium, will be a significant addition to this exceptional institutional precinct in Uptown Waterloo.

"KPMB's design will aspire to make the new Balsillie School the fourth Governor General's Award-winning project in Waterloo," says Ms. Blumberg. "Having worked on the original Seagram Museum, it is particularly inspiring to be back reinventing the site as a vibrant campus for the study of international affairs."

Mr. Kuwabara says, "It is incredibly exciting to be selected by the Balsillie School of International Affairs to design an interactive architectural platform for teaching and research that reinforces Canada's role in contributing solutions to world governance challenges."

Dr. Ramesh Thakur was recently appointed the school's first director. The school is currently assembling a critical mass of internationally renowned experts to understand, explain and shape the ideas that will create more effective global governance. The Balsillie School was launched in 2007 with a $100 million donation from Mr. Balsillie and key partners. The gift is the largest single donation to the field of social sciences in Canada.
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB)

KPMB is one of Canada's most respected architectural practices recognized for design excellence. The firm is the recipient of 10 Governor General's medals, and has developed a broad portfolio encompassing academic, civic, corporate, cultural, mixed-use, hospitality and residential projects located across North America as well as in Europe. In 2005, KPMB was selected Firm of the Year by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and in 2006 Bruce Kuwabara became the recipient of the RAIC Gold Medal, Canada's highest honour bestowed on an individual architect. KPMB's projects in the Kitchener-Waterloo region include the Kitchener City Hall which received a Governor General's Award in 1993. KPMB has been internationally lauded for its institutional work, which includes numerous designs for academic clients. These include Canada's National Ballet School (NBS) (2008 Governor General's Award, 2007 American Institute of Architects Honour Award, and one of five recipients of the 2008 Urban Land Institute Global Design Awards), and the James Stewart Centre for Mathematics at McMaster University (2004 Governor General's Award and 2005 American Institute of Architects Award of Honour). Both NBS and James Stewart Centre were realized under the design leadership of Bruce Kuwabara with Shirley Blumberg as partner-in-charge.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) is an independent academic institution devoted to the study of international affairs and global governance. The school will assemble a critical mass of extraordinary experts to understand, explain and shape the ideas that will create effective global governance. Through its graduate programs, the school will cultivate an interdisciplinary learning environment that develops knowledge of international issues from the core disciplines of political science, economics, history, and environmental studies and other related disciplines. The Balsillie School was founded in 2007 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and is a collaborative partnership between CIGI, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. For more information about BSIA please go to www.balsillieschool.ca.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Residents invited to look at plans for school of international affairs
January 02, 2009
Record staff - Waterloo
http://news.therecord.com/article/466079

A neighbourhood open house about the Balsillie School of International Affairs will be held Wednesday. The open house will be held at the Centre for International Governance Innovation from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Construction of the building on land bounded by Erb Street West, Father David Bauer Drive and Caroline Street South is expected to start in the spring of 2010. The Toronto firm of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg will design the building. The firm has received 10 Governor General Awards for excellence and designed Kitchener City Hall.


New Balsillie school will be 'functional, not fancy'
January 08, 2009
Greg Mercer, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/468598

http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/f5/9b/7f0c754046b38b9ed4537bf65e30.jpeg

With a nod to the city's industrial past, and an eye to a green future, designers unveiled plans for an uptown school that aims to attract sharp minds from around the world.

To be built on land where whisky barrels used to roll, the Balsillie School of International Affairs will transform the empty Seagram's distillery site into a walkable, tree-lined campus with understated brick buildings, living roofs, a public auditorium and central courtyard.

"This is an institution that will go head to head with the rest of the world," declared Shirley Blumberg, principle architect for the project.

She's a partner in Toronto firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg, the people who designed Kitchener City Hall and the Grand Valley Institute for Women.

Speaking at a packed open house at the Centre for International Governance Innovation last night, Blumberg said the school was designed to be "functional but not fancy," as per the wishes of its namesake and chief bankroller, Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie.

Balsillie is giving $33 million to the new school, while University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will add $25 million over 10 years.

The site, bordered by Erb Street, Caroline Street and Father David Bauer Drive, connects to the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

The project will be built in phases, with ground preparation beginning by the end of this year.

City council will be asked to approve the site's master plan on Feb. 23.

Although the economic downturn will affect the timing of later construction, the section housing the Balsillie school will be the first to be finished. It's designed to hold about 25 faculty, plus another 70 to 100 students.

Later plans call for another academic wing to hold other university programs, plus a proposed 12-storey building that would serve as housing for faculty and students and an underground parking garage.

The iconic Seagram's barrel pyramid may be moved from the site to make room for the new buildings, said project consultant Chris Pidgeon.

More than 100 residents crowded last night's meeting, but most questions revolved around how the school would affect traffic problems on surrounding streets.

To make Caroline Street more pedestrian-friendly, the city is looking at reducing the road from four lanes to two.

Most, though, seemed impressed with what designers were proposing.

"I've been involved with city planning for the past 40 years and this is the best plan I've seen in all that time," said Waterloo's John Shortreed.


School will be an asset
January 09, 2009
THE RECORD
http://news.therecord.com/article/469221

The high profile that Waterloo Region has as a centre of higher learning is about to go even higher.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs this week unveiled its plans to build on a property on Erb Street near Caroline Street in Waterloo. The school is named after the local business leader who conceived it, Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion who is donating $33 million to the project.

This appears to be a wonderful plan from every perspective. The school will be a major education institution and probably have an international reputation from the day it opens. From a more local perspective, it will fill in a vacant spot in Waterloo's core.

The architect's plan for the school goes to Waterloo council on Feb. 23. Although council has a right to comment on the details of the proposal, the overall plan is worthy of strong support. The region's residents will welcome the new school with enthusiasm.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Balsillie school gets green light
February 24, 2009
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/493044

Waterloo councillors gave the stamp of approval to the new Balsillie School of International Affairs at a council meeting last night.

Councillors unanimously approved the project which is expected to be erected on the former Seagram's distillery site later this year. The urban campus lined with trees will feature green roofs, a covered bicycle parking area, and pedestrian pathways and public courtyards.

"This has a wow factor. It will attract international attention,'' said Coun. Mark Whaley.

Mayor Brenda Halloran said she's thankful that the landmark structure is open to the public with courtyards and sitting areas.

The Balsillie School is named after Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie who is also the principle financier behind the school located in Uptown Waterloo.

Balsillie is giving $33 million to the new school, while University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will add $25 million over 10 years.

Together with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the two institutions will cover nearly two hectares at the corner of Erb and Caroline streets.

The school will be built in four phases with the Balsillie School first at three-storeys high. Later plans include an academic wing to hold other university programs, plus an 11-storey building that will serve as an academic building and housing for faculty and students. An underground parking garage will feature 250 parking spaces.

Construction will begin in earnest next year.


Barrel pyramid coming down
April 28, 2009
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/527902

The historic Seagram barrel pyramid will be torn down to accommodate the soon-to-be built Balsillie School of International Affairs.

"We are in a process with the City of Waterloo for demolition of the barrel pyramid," Chris Pidgeon of GSP Group, representing the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said last night.

The 700 barrels, which were put in place in 1996, will be assessed with the good ones being saved, Pidgeon said.

Exactly how many will be saved is still unknown, he said.

"From a practical point of view, the pyramid is on its last legs," said Coun. Jan d'Ailly.

"The pyramid, the way it exists now, won't be there," d'Ailly said.

In the plans for the graduate school, the current location of the barrel pyramid shows a canopy that will connect the Balsillie School to CIGI. Both the school and CIGI are located on city-owned land.

"They are right in the way," Pidgeon said.

He said he understands the barrel pyramid is a "sensitive community" issue, but it's costly to repair the barrels.

Mayor Brenda Halloran said many of the barrels are rotting and need significant repair. She said the barrels have been vandalized in the past with some people climbing on them.

Halloran said the barrels that can be saved will be erected elsewhere as a smaller landmark.

"They mean a lot to the community," she said after the meeting. "They are part of our history and people have asked me what we are doing with them."

In February, the city approved plans for the Balsillie School to be located on the former Seagram's distillery site at Erb and Caroline streets later this year. The urban campus lined with trees will feature green roofs, a covered bicycle parking area, and pedestrian pathways and public courtyards.

The Balsillie School is named after Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie who is also the principal financier behind the school located in Uptown Waterloo.

Balsillie is giving $33 million to the new school, while University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will add $25 million over 10 years.


Doomed barrel pyramid holds little heritage value
April 29, 2009
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/article/528552

It's hard to miss the barrel pyramid at Erb and Caroline streets in uptown Waterloo.

More than 700 large barrels held together with lag bolts are stacked and piled high, a throwback to the Seagram Museum, which was housed in the building nearby until it closed.

Birds nest in the barrels, and university students have been known to climb the stack during Frosh Week, said Karen VandenBrink, program manager of heritage resources for the city.

"The pyramid was a visual marker for the museum,'' she said. "They are not a heritage piece.''

This summer, the pyramid will come down to make way for a canopy between the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the new Balsillie School of International Affairs. Councillors approved the plan.

Mayor Brenda Halloran said the barrels, which are exposed to rain and snow, are rotting. Some barrels will be saved and a smaller landmark set up elsewhere.

A pyramid, made of oak barrels from a Seagram plant in Gimli, Man., was first erected in 1984 when the museum opened. The Seagram plant closed in 1990, but the museum carried on.

Then in 1996, the first pyramid was replaced and a second one went up, with 30 more barrels, VandenBrink said.

Barrels were not meant to stay out in the cold weather and were never stacked in the former distillery, she said.

Marg Rowell, a member of the municipal heritage committee, said she's glad the city wants to keep some barrels to create a smaller landmark.

John Arndt, president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario North Waterloo Region Branch, said the pyramid as it stands is somewhat unsafe.

"I like the idea of reproducing it somewhere else.''

[UrbanWaterloo]

$1B for higher education
May 26, 2009
Colin Hunter, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION
http://news.therecord.com/article/542588

Higher education now has higher funding, thanks to more than $1 billion in government funding doled out yesterday to institutions around the region and the province.

The soon-to-be-built Balsillie Centre of Excellence, a graduate school connected to The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), will receive $50 million.

The provincial and federal governments will chip in $25 million each to comprise the funding to CIGI.

Meanwhile, Conestoga College unveiled an additional $48 million in federal and provincial funding for expansion projects, taking the total level of government support to more than $100 million.

Among the 26 other Ontario post-secondary institutions announcing similar funding boosts yesterday were the University of Guelph and the Brantford campus of Wilfrid Laurier University, receiving $33 million and $26 million respectively.

The funding is part of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a $2-billion stimulus measure intended to expand and strengthen post-secondary institutions across Canada.

The $50 million investment to the Balsillie Centre of Excellence -- which Balsillie himself matched to make $100 million total -- will help "the city of Waterloo to continue to be the most intelligent community in the world," said the co-chief executive of Research In Motion.

With the funding in place, construction of the school will begin next month beside CIGI in uptown Waterloo. The land for the centre, valued at $5 million, was donated by the City of Waterloo.

When classes begin in the fall of 2011, there will be three graduate schools within the centre -- the Balsillie School for International Affairs and two more that have yet to be announced. Together, they will host scholars from around the world and about 150 students.

"This announcement today does incredible things for this community," said Peter Braid, MP for Kitchener-Waterloo.

"It will, in the very short term, provide a very direct injection of economic stimulus into our economy by creating jobs -- over 500 jobs in the construction of the school.

"Over the longer term this is . . . another step in this region truly becoming a world-class community."

Conestoga College will increase in size and scope by nearly half thanks to $48 million in new funding from the federal and provincial governments.

That figure, combined with investments announced previously, makes a total of $103 million in funding for expansion of the college's campus and programs over the next several years.

"It's the biggest announcement in the history of the college," Conestoga president John Tibbits said following a reception at the Doon campus woodworking centre attended by hundreds of staff, students and dignitaries.

"By the time the dust settles we will grow the college by 40 to 50 per cent. It will be a whole different college," he said.

The funding will go toward a number of expansion projects at the college, including:

"Our goal is to be the most comprehensive technical institute in Canada," Tibbits said.

The college is still hoping to receive additional funding to finance an expansion of the health care curriculum.

The Knowledge Infrastructure Program has separate components for universities and colleges, in order to fund improvements in research and academic development as well as skills training.

Braid said that only by financially supporting all forms of education can Waterloo Region be prepared to emerge from the recession with a ready and capable workforce.

"These are significant announcements, they're huge, and they're multi-faceted in terms of the areas of study they cover."


Residents roll away barrels from Seagram pyramid
August 05, 2009
By Johanna Weidner, Record staff
http://news.therecord.com/article/580823

http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/bd/e4/5a5c43974e62af4556ce76875193.jpeg
Dennis Day hauls away one of the barrels from the Seagrams Barrel pyramid after it was dismantled on Wednesday to make room for the Balsille Centre of Excellence.

WATERLOO — Mike Schneider loaded hefty tokens of Waterloo’s history, and his family’s, onto the flatbed of his truck Wednesday.

He was one of many area residents eagerly rolling away barrels as the pyramid on the former Seagram’s distillery site in downtown Waterloo was dismantled.

“My dad worked here. He used to make these things,” Schneider said of his father Ken, who was a cooper.

“He used to pound the hoops down on the barrel.”

Schneider was taking his six barrels to his nearby townhouse on Euclid Street, where they’ll have some sort of decorative use still not certain to Schneider.

“They’ll look pretty cool in the rec room or maybe outside,” he said.

He just knew he had to have them, like many other people who gathered at the site long before the free community pickup began at noon. Some came early in the morning to mark the barrels they wanted. The first batch of barrels was just about all scooped up in less than half an hour, with cars lining up to load up the finds.

“I figured, take a piece of heritage home with us,” said Chris Detzler, who lifted six barrels into his truck with his wife Jessie Robinson-Detzler.

The couple planned to put the barrels in the backyard of their Kitchener home as planters or just as a rustic decoration.

“They’re not perfect, but it’s kind of neat having the antique look,” he said.

The barrels are being cleared out to make room for the Balsillie School of International Affairs, which is part of the Balsillie Centre of Excellence offering resources and facilities for programs run in partnership with the local universities and across Canada and worldwide.

The pyramid was built in 1984 to mark the Seagram Museum, then replaced in 1996. Authentic heritage barrels are on display in the Centre for International Governance at the corner of Erb and Caroline streets, while those in the pyramid have no historic value, other than as a local landmark.

“There’s a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in the barrels,” said Karen VandenBrink, heritage resources manager for the City of Waterloo.

Experts from Canbar, formerly the Waterloo-based Canada Barrels and Kegs, are checking out the close to 800 barrels to pick out those in good shape that will be stored to be used later for a community art project. Damaged barrels and parts are up for grabs.

Dismantling the pyramid is scheduled to finish today. Community pickup will continue today between noon and 5 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, while the barrels last.

Kitchener resident Dennis Day was surprised by the crowd gathered for the barrel giveaway.

“I didn’t expect this many people to be here,” said Day, who was trying to get four barrels into his minivan.

Ryan Mounsey, development planner and urban designer for Waterloo, expected a lot of interest considering all the calls from people anxious to have a piece of the pyramid.

“They all cited sentimental reasons,” Mounsey said. “It’s not so much the quality, it’s just to have the object.”

Glenn and Pat Pascoe of Waterloo just happened to be driving by when the pickup began, and lucky for them.

“We wanted one for a while,” Pat said.

They grabbed two with the intention of cutting the wooden barrels in half to make planters for their cottage.

They already have three windows from old Seagram building, “so it will be neat to have the barrels as well,” Pat said.

“It’s nice to have some heritage from Waterloo. We’ve lived here now for 45 years.”


Balsillie School names five new academic chairs
August 19, 2009
Record staff
http://news.therecord.com/article/587329

WATERLOO – Five faculty members were recently appointed to the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

The new academic chairs are:

• William Coleman, chair in globalization and public policy. Coleman was the founding director of McMaster University’s Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition.

• Paul Freston, chair of religion and politics in global context. Freston, a sociologist, was the director of studies of religion in Latin America at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in Texas.

• Kathryn Hochstetler, chair of governance in the Americas. Hochstetler’s publication, Greening Brazil, was named best book in environmental politics this year by the American Political Science Association.

• Sue Horton, chair in global health economics. Horton is the University of Waterloo’s new associate provost of graduate studies, and is the former vice-president academic at Wilfrid Laurier University.

• David Welch, chair of global security. An award-winning author, Welch is currently completing a book on the Vietnam War.

Chairs at the school are expected to teach in the three graduate programs, undertake research and supervise graduate students. Five other chairs have already been named, with eight additional appointments expected.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Project Status
http://www.cigionline.org/project/balsillie-campus-construction

The Balsillie Campus is scheduled for completion by March 31, 2011.

December 1st update:

The foundations to the north and west block are complete along with the back fill.
The foundations to the south block are 65% complete with backfill started.
The foundation work to the east block has started.
The foundation should be complete by the end of January 2010 weather permitting.
Site servicing to the inside of the property starts next week.
Tendering to the building structure is going out this week and will close prior to December 24th.

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cigi_media/sets/72157622597796198/

September 29, 2009

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October 13, 2009

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October 16, 2009

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October 22, 2009

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October 26, 2009

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November 1, 2009

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November 10, 2009

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November 18, 2009

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November 25, 2009

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November 26, 2009

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November 30, 2009

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[RangersFan]

Urban Waterloo excellent pictures, were these all taken by you? The quality is awesome.

[UrbanWaterloo]

I agree they're great photos. Wish I could take the credit but it actually belongs to CIGI's photostream. They seem to take photos every week, however I haven't seen any new posted since November 30th. I'll keep an eye out though.

Personally I have access to an aerial view of Uptown Waterloo, including this site, which might become more interesting as construction progresses (certainly for capturing the 12-storey tower). I'm still trying to do set-up here on WW but once I get a chance to organize my photos they'll get posted.

[Spokes]

The CIGI Master Plan (http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/DS_DEVAPPROV_documents/CIGIMasterPlan.pdf) outlines the entire Balsillie School in a phase-by-phase manner. It's got a ton of really useful info.

[Spokes]

An update from CIGI's flickr account - http://www.flickr.com/photos/cigi_media/sets/72157622597796198/

January 5, 2010

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[Spokes]

Taking a many-faceted look at the world

When shovels bit into the ground in June 2009 to mark the start of construction on the new Balsillie Campus in uptown Waterloo, it was the newest visible sign of a unique initiative that had been building since Jim Balsillie founded the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in 2002.

When finished, the pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined mini-campus will include understated brick buildings with green roofs, a public auditorium, and a central courtyard. The project is to be built in three stages, with the first stage projected for completion in fall 2010.

The governments of Canada and Ontario each pledged $25 million for the project; Balsillie matched them with a donation of $50 million. Land valued at $5 million next to the historic Seagram Museum, home of CIGI, was donated by the City of Waterloo. The new campus is part of Balsillie’s vision to build capacity in international affairs in Canada, and to make CIGI one of the most innovative think tanks in the world.

The Balsillie Campus will be the home of distinctive graduate schools and programs, including the already-established Balsillie School of International Affairs, a joint initiative of the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and CIGI. Three degree programs are based in the Balsillie school: a master’s in international public policy administered by Laurier, a master’s in global governance (Waterloo), and a joint Laurier/Waterloo PhD in global governance.

The programs are the only ones in Canada with a specific interdisciplinary focus on issues of global governance and international public policy. They draw on a range of disciplines, including economics, political science, geography, environment, business, and history.

Global governance and international public policy are areas of study that inevitably cross disciplinary boundaries, says Gerry Boychuk, director of the global governance programs. “Our programs are highly distinctive by virtue of their multidisciplinary nature. This has allowed us to recruit world-class faculty members and students.”

http://www.uwaterloo.ca/profiles/profile.php?id=154 (http://www.uwaterloo.ca/profiles/profile.php?id=154)

[RangersFan]

The CIGI Master plan of the Balsillie School of International affairs is really full of great information. Its the first time I ahve seen the project overview in a phase by phase manner. I really want to see the 11 storey component built, I think it would look awesome there. The main entrance plan also looks great. I love all the glass, and the stair tower this will really make the building stand out in a good way. After reading the Masterplan outline I must say I am pretty impressed and I hope all four phases of the project are completed.

[Spokes]

The CIGI Master plan of the Balsillie School of International affairs is really full of great information. Its the first time I ahve seen the project overview in a phase by phase manner. I really want to see the 11 storey component built, I think it would look awesome there. The main entrance plan also looks great. I love all the glass, and the stair tower this will really make the building stand out in a good way. After reading the Masterplan outline I must say I am pretty impressed and I hope all four phases of the project are completed.

Ya I can't wait for that phase too. Thats #3?

So is it 11 floors or 12. I've seen both reported in various locations.

[RangersFan]

Ya I can't wait for that phase too. Thats #3?

So is it 11 floors or 12. I've seen both reported in various locations.

I have no idea the Masterplan says the podium consists of 3 storys for parking structure/academic, and than 8 floors above for residential. But I have also read 12 in other places.

[UrbanWaterloo]

From what I remember it was announced as 12 floors at the meeting a year ago. The Master Plan clearly says 11 though. :confused: It must have got changed; I'll update the thread title.

Here are a few pics from the announcement (no board images as they're clearer in the Master Plan). It was very well attended, likely 100 people and standing room only!

January 7, 2009

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[Spokes]

So all phases are 3 floors other than the tower which is 11 or 12?

[UrbanWaterloo]

Correct.

Source: CIGI...

Project Status - January 6, 2010

The north, south and west block foundations are completed and all back fill has been done as well.
The east foundation block is still slated for completion by the end of January.
Tendering documents are coming in now for review.
Award of contract decisions will be made the end of January and early February for the main components of the building.


Project Status - February 3, 2010

The foundations are 85% complete and should be done in the next 2 to 3 weeks.
The de-watering system is now decommissioned.
Underground services are 80% complete.
Geo-thermal well drilling is scheduled to start next week.
The pre-cast structural steel tenders have been awarded.
The bell manufacturer tender has been awarded.
The form work & rebar tenders are in process and should be awarded this week.
Mechanical & electrical tendering process is complete and we are now reviewing the package.



January 12, 2010

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February 4, 2010

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February 12, 2010

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February 24, 2010

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[RangersFan]

The school is really coming along, if only all the tri-cities projects moved like this.

[urbandreamer]

So they're not digging basements for these buildings? Is that to do with the contaminated soil conditions or the old river beneath the site?

[Spokes]

I think I remember someone saying that it had to do with the water table.

But the 11 storey building will have underground levels/parking I believe

[Spokes]

Seagram barrels gone but not forgotten

March 01, 2010
By Jeff Outhit, Record staff

WATERLOO — Remember those old barrels, piled in a pyramid in downtown Waterloo?

They’re gone now, carted off by residents in a free giveaway last August. But a group of local playwrights plans to track them down, ask people why they took them, and find how they’re being used.

The fate of the barrels will be turned into a “multimedia collective theatre piece” to be mounted in 2011.

“They really meant something to the community,” said Lisa O’Connell, artistic director of Pat the Dog Playwright Centre. “I think (the barrels) are a really strong metaphor for who we are, and what we feel we are.”

The barrels had no historic value. They didn’t come from the former Seagram’s distillery. Many were rotting away when the pyramid was dismantled to make way for a new building.

Yet O’Connell recalls witnessing “tremendous energy” as residents scooped them up last summer. Some people loaded them into vehicles. Others rolled barrels up the street. Crowds lined up. “Everybody had these big, beaming smiles,” she recalls.

If you have a barrel, wanted one, or having something to say about them, contact Charmian Christie at charmian@patthedog.org. Put Barrel Project in the subject line. Or call 519-886-4577.

Artists have already spoken to several people who used the barrels in gardens, in stained glass, and in furniture. They all spoke of how much they love their community.

“That’s really the thread that we’re going for,” O’Connell said.

jouthit@therecord.com
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/678349

[UrbanWaterloo]

Aerial View - March 6, 2010

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/UptownWaterloo-March62010-3a.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

CIGI Launches Video Blog for Balsillie Campus
Mar 16, 2010 12:51 ET - http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/CIGI-Launches-Video-Blog-for-Balsillie-Campus-1132637.htm

WATERLOO, CANADA--(Marketwire - March 16, 2010) - The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) launched a video blog today, entitled Building for the Future, which will serve as an engaging platform for continuous coverage of and insight into the Balsillie Campus while it undergoes construction.

Building for the Future will provide a full range of topics surrounding the Balsillie Campus, from inspiration to building design and new construction technology, as well as faculty, student and community perspectives.

The first video blog of the series features Jim Balsillie, founder of the campus and co-CEO of Research In Motion, who discusses his motivation for creating the campus and how it will contribute to global leadership.

Subsequent videos will be posted on the first Monday of each month and will feature key individuals involved with the project, including interviews with Bill Cooper, president of Cooper Construction, the contractor for the project; Bruce Kuwabara and Shirley Blumberg of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects in Toronto; as well as others. Mr. Cooper describes the project as one of the most exciting of his career, and discusses the challenges the space has presented and how Canadians are going to be "wowed and proud" with the end result.

After the Balsillie Campus video blog launch, all video blog entries will be archived and accessible to the public at http://balsilliecampus.cigionline.org. After viewing the video, visitors to the site are invited to post a comment.

Under CIGI's leadership and direction, the Balsillie Campus will create resources and facilities to run programs of studies in partnership with the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and other universities in Canada and internationally. The campus will house several schools and programs, including the already established Balsillie School of International Affairs.

For more information about the Balsillie Campus construction, visit: http://www.cigionline.org/project/balsillie-campus-construction.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that addresses international governance challenges. Led by a group of experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate, builds capacity, and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements. Conducting an active agenda of research, events and publications, CIGI's interdisciplinary work includes collaboration with policy, business and academic communities around the world. CIGI was founded in 2002 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. For more information, please visit: www.cigionline.org

[UrbanWaterloo]

Jim Balsillie Discusses the Creation of the Balsillie Campus
On February 17, 2009, In Balsillie Campus, By swoodburn
http://balsilliecampus.cigionline.org/
http://vimeo.com/9135942


http://vimeo.com/9135942

Thank you for visiting the Balsillie Campus blog website. In this first video blog of the series, which will have a new video each month, Balsillie Campus founder Jim Balsillie comments on the rationale behind the creation of the Campus and the contributions it will give in the international affairs arena. The new Balsillie Campus is the conversion of the site formerly occupied by the 19th century Seagram Distillery in Uptown Waterloo into an ambitious new academic campus.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Project Status March 1, 2010

The foundations are 95% complete
The underground plumbing has begun
The formwork above ground is ready to start next week
The Bubbledeck fabrication begins March 15 and the Bubbledeck slabs will arrive on site mid April
Tenders for Mechanical, Electrical, Pre-cast, Structural Steel, Formwork, Rebar, Elevators, Glazing have all been awarded.
We have the full building permit from the City of Waterloo


March 5, 2010

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March 16, 2010

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[jay]

Drove by today and saw that they have a crane installed. I'll try to take a picture today

[metropolis]

Crane went in yesterday. Little activity with it as yet. This building is making solid progress... so is the church across the street and the Perimiter Institute behind the Clay and Glass Museum. This whole area is just humming with construction!

[UrbanWaterloo]

Awesome news on the crane! If there's a break in the rain tomorrow I'll try to grab a photo too (always interesting to see multiple perspectives). Here's the latest from CIGI's flickr account...

March 23, 2010

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[UrbanWaterloo]

Not the greatest weather today (i'll probably redo some photos this weekend/next week on a nicer day), but here's two shots.

April 9, 2010

That grass strip needs to go. (Discussed Here: http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php/412)
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/SAM_4936.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/SAM_4943.jpg

[Spokes]

Crane looks great! Thanks for the pics!

[UrbanWaterloo]

April 14, 2010

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http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/UptownWaterloo-April142010-4b.jpg

[urbandreamer]

That road needs narrowing--is there a reason it has to be so fast? Very un-urban. I'd narrow it down to a lane in either direction with on street parking.

[metropolis]

If you are talking about Caroline that is planned as LRT is supposed to run dow the North side of that road.

[Spokes]

Is there a time table for the progression from stages 1 to 4?

[UrbanWaterloo]

I haven't read anything with a specific timetable. This is all it says in the master plan (Page 8): Phases 1 and 2, the Balsillie School buildings, will be constructed at the outset of the development. Phases 3 and 4 on the southern edge of the Site will follow.


Project Status - April 1, 2010

Foundations are complete except for the service building
Work is proceeding on outside services
Underground plumbing is about 60% complete
Underground electrical is about 10% complete
The above ground structure has started.
The Tower crane has been erected.
The first of the Bubbledeck will arrive the week of April 26th for the north block.
Except for the millwork, all of the finishing trades are now out to tender.

[UrbanWaterloo]

CIGI's Flickr Account...

April 14, 2010

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Uploaded on April 30, 2010

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Balsillie Campus Video Blog #2
John Milloy and Peter Braid discuss what the Balsillie Campus means to the Waterloo Region
On April 10, 2010, In Balsillie Campus, By swoodburn
http://balsilliecampus.cigionline.org/?p=34 | http://vimeo.com/10816949


http://vimeo.com/10816949

On May 25, 2009, the Governments of Canada and Ontario announced that they will contribute a total of $50 million in funding towards the construction of the Balsillie Campus. In addition to the funding provided by the federal and provincial governments, Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion and chair of the board of CIGI, will contribute $50 million to match the governments’ contributions. In this video, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, Peter Braid, and Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener Centre and Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, John Milloy, discuss what the Balsillie Campus means for the future of the region. The federal government’s contribution is part of its Knowledge Infrastructure Program, an initiative aimed at renewing the infrastructure of Canadian colleges and universities. The provincial government’s contribution is part of its 2009 Budget commitment to invest in Ontario’s colleges and universities over two years.

[SP!RE]

New renderings I captured from that video:

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7964/waterloobalsillieschool.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7964/waterloobalsillieschool.jpg

[IEFBR14]

What are those black doo-dads? Could they have used, ahhh..., wooden barrels instead? ;)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/4566383582_48f3c30f3d.jpg

[van Hemessen]

^^yea seriously what ARE those? Any architects here who can give us some insight?

I actually really like the look of this after seeing those last two renders, whereas before I was slightly iffy on the design.

[Spokes]

Im getting excited about it too.

They look like big black golf balls.

[Trogdor]

The black balls are called bubbledeck. They basically fill space in place of concrete, but read this wiki for a better explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voided_biaxial_slab#BubbleDeck_technology.

[IEFBR14]

So the bubbledecks aren't structural. They just create voids to save on concrete. Therefore I was right, they could have used old wooden barrels instead ;)

[RangersFan]

The project is really moving along now, everytime I go bye I have seen noticeable progress.

[Spokes]

The project is really moving along now, everytime I go bye I have seen noticeable progress.

That's what happen's when you've got a lot of money to push at a project, and your name and reputation on it's title.

[UrbanWaterloo]

May 6, 2010

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-May62010-1.jpg

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http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-May62010-10.jpg

[RangersFan]

May 20, 2010 Not the greatest pictures
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/Balsillie%20school%20of%20international%20affairs/JB5.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/Balsillie%20school%20of%20international%20affairs/JB6.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/Balsillie%20school%20of%20international%20affairs/JB7.jpg

[RangersFan]

June 10,2010
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[urbandreamer]

12 June 2010: Streetwall must be completed here--so, any plans for that nasty suburban parking lot across the street?

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/1082/dsc09189h.jpg

Time to kill the parking lot:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/568/dsc09193z.jpg

I have a dream...put street car tracks on this rail line and build road over top, like they do in Toronto. Then, take existing road and sell to private developers, who shall build 5-10s buildings with retail uses at base along the current road. There's really no need for the road to be so wide, or so pointless, here.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/153/dsc09205v.jpg

[stephaniew]

Hi all,

I just wanted to bring to everyones attention that CIGI is running a monthly video blog about the Balsillie Campus. Each month, new videos are posted relating to the construction of the Balsillie Campus.

The blog is available at http://balsilliecampus.cigionline.org and is updated regularly. So far there are videos with Jim Balsillie, KMPB, Cooper Construction, Peter Braid and John Milloy, as well as Peter Etril Snyder.

- Stephanie

[stephaniew]

To view more videos from the Balsillie Campus Video Blog, visit http://balsilliecampus.cigionline.org

KPMB discusses the architectural vision of the Balsillie Campus
On May 1, 2010, In Balsillie Campus, By Stephanie Woodburn


http://vimeo.com/11713418

[Urbanomicon]

Thanks for all of that info Stephanie and welcome to the forums!

[DKsan]

Turnover at Balsillie school raises questions of academic freedom
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/turnover-at-balsillie-school-raises-questions-of-academic-freedom/article1608394/

Elizabeth Church

From Friday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Jun. 17, 2010 9:08PM EDT

The construction crews are still at work on the new Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont., but already there are cracks in the plan to build a world-class hub for global studies in Canada’s high-tech heartland.

The school, a collaboration between the neighbouring campuses of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier universities, aims to be a go-to place for future leaders and renowned scholars. Those ambitions are fuelled by a $33-million gift from BlackBerry entrepreneur Jim Balsillie, which flowed through donations from his private think tank, the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Less than two years ago, the fledging school lured Ramesh Thakur, a scholar and former top UN official, to be its first director and signal its arrival on the academic map. Prof. Thakur, familiar with Canada from his days as a graduate student and fresh from a stint as vice-rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo, appeared an ideal match to execute the school’s vision.

But that perfect pairing did not last for long. On a recent Friday, the first long weekend of the summer just hours away, Prof. Thakur was removed without cause from his post as director less than halfway through his contract. That decision follows several changes in key posts over the last six months at CIGI.

Prof. Thakur did not want to be interviewed, but in an e-mail he hinted at a tension that is blurring the lines between the public universities and the private organization. “Academic freedom is the bedrock of the university, and autonomy from outside interests (however well-meaning) is important in protecting that academic freedom.”

The turnover of key positions at both institutions is raising questions about their unconventional relationship. Academic independence is a fiercely guarded principle in higher education – as Canadian campuses experiment with joint ventures and seek support from industry and individuals who expect results, there are fears that the firewall between donor and scholarly study is being chipped away.

Details of how Mr. Balsillie’s $33-million gift flowed through CIGI and to the new school, outlined in the donor agreement and internal e-mails obtained by The Globe and Mail, show an expectation that CIGI will be consulted on strategy and staffing at the new school. Faculty hired for the Balsillie school – including Prof. Thakur – were also given appointments as fellows at the think tank.

A spokeswoman for CIGI said it was not involved in Prof. Thakur’s dismissal, but will take part in picking his replacement.

“Going forward I believe there will be greater consultation between the three institutions,” said Neve Peric, vice-president of operations. Because the new school is a partnership, she said, “The strict rules of universities do not apply.” The director post, Ms. Peric said, is the head of a partnership, not an academic appointment, although the think tank also has a right to be consulted on those. “Consulting is the key word,” she said. “We will be consulted, but that is different than being involved in an academic process.”

But some argue the difference is minimal, at best. “What appears to be happening here is the influence of private money trumping academic principle,” said Jim Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, a group that represents faculty unions across the country.

As part of the donor agreement, the two universities that run the Balsillie school pledged to consult with CIGI over “the selection of individuals” to receive fellowships and to fill the appointments it helped to fund with its gift – 12 academic posts called “CIGI chairs” divided between the two universities. The agreement also contains an unusual clause that lets the donor move the money after 10 years if there are differences that cannot be resolved – a request CIGI says was made by the universities.

CIGI executives have asked to be “at the table regarding all of the academic discussions,” according to an e-mail sent by treasurer Cosimo Fiorenza to Prof. Thakur in October. Mr. Fiorenza also asked to see lists of candidates for fellowships and academic appointments.

Laurier provost Deborah MacLatchy said all academic appointments, including the director, are governed by the universities. But what if CIGI had disagreed with the appointment of the school’s new interim director? “We didn’t have to cross that bridge because there was full agreement,” she said.

“What is happening at Waterloo is at the cutting edge of the experiment of connecting academic scholarship to the real world of policy choices,” said Paul Evans, the director of the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia. The partnership forged in Waterloo has high ambitions of influencing public policy, he added – expectations that are difficult to fulfill given the current government’s lack of interest in outside advice on such matters.

“People who make a donation want to see a difference made,” Prof. Evans said. “This is a really challenging moment for anyone to demonstrate effects on our federal government.”

Indeed, no one could accuse Mr. Balsillie of thinking small. Over the past eight years, the tenacious businessman has focused on creating a cluster for global studies on the old Seagram’s distillery site in downtown Waterloo.

He created CIGI in 2002, followed in 2007 by the gift to create the Balsillie school, including a new building at the distillery site. There are additional plans for this “Balsillie Campus” that include a law school and a school for trade and innovation.

His goal for the Balsillie school is for it “to be the best school on international relations in the world,” he said in an e-mail. Asked about the timing for that goal, he said that is “the responsibility of the director.”

The University of Waterloo declined to comment on the departure of Prof. Thakur from the Balsillie school. He remains a professor on the Waterloo campus. “The universities are preparing and will be implementing a hiring process that respects all of the core academic principles and procedures,” dean of arts Ken Coates said in a written statement.

As for Mr. Balsillie, Ms. Peric said the co-CEO of Research in Motion plays a limited role at his think tank. “He is a lot less involved than you think,” she said. “He has a full-time job. He chairs board meetings, but that is about all he does.”

And she makes no apologies for his bold ambitions. “Does he expect success? Absolutely,” she said. “I don’t know that we can fault him for that.”

[stephaniew]

http://vimeo.com/12183816

Cooper Construction discusses the build of the Balsillie Campus
On June 1, 2010, In Balsillie Campus, By Stephanie Woodburn

In this video, Bill Cooper of Cooper Construction discusses the company’s involvement in the Balsillie Campus project. Cooper Construction Limited was hired in April 2009 as the contractor for the project to provide construction management services and CIGI entered the building phase of The Balsillie Campus in August 2009. This current phase of construction will include two buildings: the first building will house the Balsillie School of International Affairs and an auditorium; the second will house additional academic programs. As of May 1, 2010, several significant construction milestones have been reached, including:

• Foundations complete except for the Service Building – construction to start July 1
• Underground plumbing 85% complete
• Electrical underground 20% complete
• Ground floor formwork 85% complete
• Second floor bubble-deck for the North block has been installed
• Tender for millwork is the only outstanding tender.

[diego]

Time to kill the parking lot:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/568/dsc09193z.jpg

I'm pretty sure this parking lot will be the spot for the LRT station, not sure what they will do with the whole space though.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Thanks stephanie for the updates, the building looks great so far! I can't wait until the Public Open House to do a photo tour of the site. :cool:

[mpd618]

I'm pretty sure this parking lot will be the spot for the LRT station, not sure what they will do with the whole space though.

In the current plans the Uptown stations would be at Willis Way (one way on Caroline and the other on King).

[Spokes]

Anyone else not totally surprised that they seem to be doing phases one and two at once?

[Spokes]

In the current plans the Uptown stations would be at Willis Way (one way on Caroline and the other on King).

Leaving this lot available for a fantastic development!

[Spokes]

A couple pictures from their Flickr stream. They're dated for February, but I dont think that's correct.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1275/4690884092_acbf803768.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4690250585_4a5d08569d.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4666645098_5e68799717.jpg

[Duke-of-Waterloo]

They're dated for February, but I dont think that's correct.

Green deciduous trees in February - that's an Ontario first! :p

[Spokes]

Green deciduous trees in February - that's an Ontario first! :p

hahah exactly! And combine that with some action over at Barrelyards, my guess was more like early-mid may.

[UrbanWaterloo]

June 23, 2010

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-June232010.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

Green deciduous trees in February - that's an Ontario first! :p

If you think that's something, just wait until the physicists across the street discover flying trees (http://wackypedia.wikia.com/wiki/Flying_trees)! :p

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070604180039/illogicopedia/images/thumb/3/3b/Floating_Tree-1060233399.jpg/199px-Floating_Tree-1060233399.jpg

[stephaniew]

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to make everyone aware of the following. Pat the Dog Playwright Centre is doing a feature on the barrels - where did they all go?! CIGI will be doing a feature on the Balsillie Campus video blog all about the barrels in August, to commemorate 1 year since the pyramid's dismantling, which is what brought this project to my attention. You can find more information out about the project at http://www.patthedog.org/2010/02/22/the-barrel-project/. (I found out through an article in The Record, at http://news.therecord.com/article/678349)

They are trying to track down what happened to the barrels and where they went, once the pyramid was dismantled. This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to interview Lisa O’Connell from Pat the Dog. It’s a fascinating piece, and it actually gave me shivers when I was interviewing her, hearing about some of the stories! I can definitely say that any written description of what it is they’re actually doing can't come close to giving the project the full justice it deserves. Even if it’s something simple, such as using the barrel for planters or as a stand, they want to hear your story! If you have one, please email Charmian Christie at charmian@patthedog.org to get in touch with them! Or, if you know anyone who has one of the barrels, please pass this information on.

[UrbanWaterloo]

July 20, 2010

Erb Street
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-July202010-1.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-July202010-2.jpg

Erb Street & Father David Bauer Drive
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-July202010-3.jpg

Father David Bauer Drive
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Balsillie%20School/BalsilleSchool-July202010-4.jpg

[SP!RE]

EXCELLENT. Another urban streetwall for Uptown Waterloo.

(And doesn't hurt that it's designed by a great firm like KPMB!)

[stephaniew]

http://vimeo.com/13108268

The corner of Erb Street West, Father David Bauer Drive and Caroline Street continues to transform as construction continues on the Balsillie Campus. Art Carr, Project Superintendent for Cooper Construction, and other area experts reflect on the architectural design of the school, exciting new technologies incorporated into the design and the challenges they have experienced.

As of July 1, the following milestones had been reached:


The North block 3rd floor has been poured
The West block 3rd floor has been poured
The South block Bubbledeck has been installed to the third floor
The Auditorium pre-cast delivery is 50% complete
The Structural steel assembly is underway
The service building started mid-July

The Balsillie Campus has been designed by KPMB Architects. Consultants on the project are are Blackwell & Bowick (structural); Crossey Engineering Ltd. (mechanical); and H.H. Angus and Associates (electrical). Subcontractors include: E & E Seegmiller Ltd. (excavation/asphalt/paving); Ronco Steel Centre Ltd. (rebar); Swan & Associates (formwork); Prestressed Systems Inc. (precast); Spencer Steel ltd. (structural steel); Hogg Fuel & Supply Ltd. (concrete); GA Masonry; Nelco Mechanical; Naylor Group Inc. (electrical); C & H Fire Suppression; Merit Glass ; Nedlaw Roofing Ltd.; and Kone Inc. (elevators).

[jay]

Thanks for the update and video. Pretty cool how they are doing the heating/cooling with the bubble deck.

[KevinL]

Also great to see how local tradespeople will be getting experience with the more innovative techniques. Bodes well for the future!

[Spokes]

Construction coming along on new campus

570 News Aug 23, 2010 17:07:28 PM

Things are coming along nicely with the construction of the new Balsillie Campus at CIGI -- especially the holes in the floors.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation hosted a media tour of the upcoming Balsillie Campus addition.

The project is on-budget and on-schedule to open its doors to faculty and students in June 2011.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs, currently split between Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, will move in as a whole unit to the new Campus.

The structure features a first-in-Ontario design feature: the poured concrete is full of holes, an engineering technique called BubbleDeck.

The concrete slabs that make up the floors and ceilings are remarkably thinner than a normal building's because empty spaces, about the size of basketballs, are built in.

These bubbles are only in place in non-critical areas of the concrete where there is no engineering strain.

Lead architect Shirley Blumberg, tells 570 News this design means they're using 30 per cent less concrete.

Project Manager for Cooper Construction, Bruno D'Aloisio, says the only hold-up they had was with soil conditions in the foundation work, but that was easily cleared up.

He says they will finish the structure soon, and close up the exterior of the building by the end of this year.

[SP!RE]

For those of us who aren't in Waterloo much of the time, could someone post a Balsillie School update soon? That'd be awesome. I may even reward you with a gold star =D

The location and caliber of architecture makes this project by far my favourite in KW. I know the city has come a very long way when I see this project in photos, and the Seagram and Uptown area behind it. Really shaping up to be a great area.

I've just been reading the master plan document that's posted in the first post of this thread. I highly recommend reading it-- very informative and exciting.

Also, a question: It seems like they've already really planned out the third phase (the residential tower and 3-floor parking podium) and it just says that phase will follow the first phase. But realistically, do we have any idea how long after it would follow? A year? Three years? Hmmm.

[Spokes]

I for one have heard nothing at all about phase 3 since the original project announcement.

[SP!RE]

Well it's in the documents and models-- I know nobody has heard about it, as it's a later phase. But I'm just wondering how much later we should expect it.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Project Status August 1, 2010 (http://www.cigionline.org/project/balsillie-campus-construction)

Auditorium

precast wall panels are erected and supported in place
precast seats welded are in place
roof bubbledeck is placed at all elevations

Academic Building

roof pours are progressing
structural forms are being stripped out on ground floor
duct work is installed where possible
bell tower formwork is poured up to the 3rd floor roof

Service Building

excavation has occurred
footings are placed
underground services are currently being placed
WNH improvements on Father David Bauer have commenced

[UrbanWaterloo]

September 10, 2010

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20September%2010%2C%202010%20-%201c%20Resized.JPG

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20September%2010%2C%202010%20-%202%20Resized.JPG

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20September%2010%2C%202010%20-%203%20Resized.JPG

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20September%2010%2C%202010%20-%204%20Resized.JPG

[SP!RE]

GREAT update! Thanks so much.

I'm disappointed to hear the tall feature called a "bell tower'... I was hoping they weren't going to stick a bell in there (tacky) but rather just have it be a lit-up column. Gahh.

[Duke-of-Waterloo]

Great photos, as always Urban. Actually, these seem even higher quality than usual!

You can really start to see the street wall forming along Erb.

[panamaniac]

GREAT update! Thanks so much.

I'm disappointed to hear the tall feature called a "bell tower'... I was hoping they weren't going to stick a bell in there (tacky) but rather just have it be a lit-up column. Gahh.

Why tacky?

[DHLawrence]

It doesn't mean that they're going to put a bell in. The only educational facility I know of with an actual bell tower was a Christian college that used it to call students to chapel services.

[RangersFan]

Those are great pictures Urban, thank you

[myfaceisonfire]

It looks like they have started to install some windows along the interior. It will be a nice view out to the courtyard.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4989616905_b5339dcba9_z.jpg

source : http://www.flickr.com/photos/cigi_media/sets/72157622597796198/?page=4

[Tinbasher]

There is a big push on the courtyard side of the building,the glazers need to be finished so they can start the landscaping before the snow falls.There is also over a million dollars worth of lanscaping to be completed before they lose easy access into the courtyard. Also sad to say the crane is coming down already by the end of the month.

[josephfung]

I'm pretty sure there is going to be a set of bells in it. At least, that's the current plan (plans do change sometimes).


It doesn't mean that they're going to put a bell in. The only educational facility I know of with an actual bell tower was a Christian college that used it to call students to chapel services.

[josephfung]

Also, just a couple of update/correctiong your original post:

1. The construction project is the "Balsillie Campus" not the school. The school is just one of the tenants in the building complex
2. Videos of construction are now being posted to YouTube instead of Vimeo (http://www.youtube.com/user/cigivideos)

Hope that helps :)

[SP!RE]

Shame about the bell-tower... I'm nervous now. I liked the original renderings which showed it as just being an enclosed light tower / light feature.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Thanks for the corrections, the first post has been updated.

[van Hemessen]

I don't understand the aversion to bells...?

[SP!RE]

Which aversion?

Bells are great-- but I was hoping for a very modernist signature feature for this project. Either way it will be great!

[UrbanWaterloo]

Ground Floor Glass - October 9, 2010

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20October%209%2C%202010%20-%202%20Resized.jpg http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20October%209%2C%202010%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

[urbangeographer]

Crane is being taken down today.

[UrbanWaterloo]

BSIA Partners Strenuously Disagree with CAUT Report
Waterloo | October 29, 2010 | http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=5241

Earlier this year, the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University took the difficult decision to seek a new director for the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). The decision to replace any administrator is a serious one, requiring extensive thought and careful attention to process.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers appointed Prof. Len Findlay, University of Saskatchewan, as a one-person investigator. The CAUT report has been made available to the media.

The BSIA partners unanimously and strenuously disagree with the CAUT report’s findings and interpretation of the events. The report is based on a flawed and incomplete interpretation of the circumstances and rationale for the decision. Although privacy and legal matters limited the information that could be shared, all three BSIA partners (Laurier, Waterloo and The Centre for International Governance Innovation) co-operated with Findlay and provided as much information as is possible when dealing with a personnel matter. (However, Appendix 9 of the CAUT report makes clear the universities’ concerns.)

The two universities remain confident with the decision to seek a new director. The University of Waterloo, where Prof. Thakur retained his academic appointment, followed appropriate procedures throughout, past the point where Prof. Thakur withdrew from the standard review procedures outlined in Waterloo’s faculty agreement.

Academic freedom is foundational to programming at the Balsillie School. It has never been constrained at the school and was never an issue in the departure of the former director, whose role was primarily administrative in nature.

Donor influence was absolutely not an issue in the departure of the former director. The decision to end Prof. Thakur’s term as director was made following a fair and thorough process.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs is a world-class academic institution with a very bright future. As the Balsillie School enters its third year, the three partners look forward to working together to supporting the administrative structures required by such an innovative and exciting academic institution.

[IEFBR14]

For the, um, Record, here's the other side of the story: CIGI lost sight of academic freedom in firing, report claims (http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/803305)
A study commissioned by the Canadian Association of University Teachers alleges that the former director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs was unfairly fired last spring.

The investigation concludes that Waterloo’s two universities failed to “educate the principal donor” of the school, Jim Balsillie, about his proper role.

And it says the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University lost sight of their commitment to academic freedom when internationally renowned scholar Ramesh Thakur was dismissed in May from the leadership of the Balsillie School.

The concept of academic freedom is treasured in university communities because it represents the right to seek truth without interference from outsiders, be they donors, government, politicians or corporations.

The report suggests that Thakur lost support from the university leadership after he resisted involvement in the school’s academic affairs by the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a non-profit think tank that was founded by Balsillie — co-chief executive of Research In Motion — and is still led by him.

But officials from the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and the centre, which were all partners in developing the Balsillie School, say academic freedom was never compromised.

“Donor influence was absolutely not an issue in the departure of the former director,” a press release from University of Waterloo said Friday.

Instead, officials say, Thakur was dismissed because of his own performance.

“We disagree very strongly with the recommendations and the tone” of the report, said University of Waterloo dean of arts Ken Coates.

The report’s author didn’t have all the information, and so “you get a one-sided airing of the situation,” he said.

Thakur, a former vice-rector of the United Nations University, is out of the country and was unavailable for comment Friday.

He was quoted in a Toronto newspaper as saying he feels exonerated by the report. He said he will be leaving Canada and taking a job at the Australian National University.

The 78-page report, written by University of Saskatchewan professor Len Findlay, can be read in full on the teachers’ association website, www.caut.ca

The study says that Thakur’s termination was likely “part of a wider purge” that began with the removal of John English, the Waterloo history professor and former Kitchener MP.

English left his position almost a year ago as executive director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation. He has declined comment on why he left, citing legal requirements to say nothing.

The study also refers to an alleged incident a year ago in which “quite agitated and angry” comments were made to Thakur by Balsillie, the principal philanthropist behind the centre.

The disagreement concerned the establishment of a law program for the Balsillie School. Thakur was having a meeting to discuss curriculum and academic matters, and had told officials of the governance centre that they shouldn’t attend the meeting because the matters under discussion were too technical.

According to Thakur’s account, Balsillie “got even more angry when I noted that, technically, I reported to and took orders from the two university presidents and not the (Centre for International Governance Innovation) board.”

He ended the call and then Balsillie called back, “even more angry at feeling that I had hung up on him. I pointed out that no one in (the Centre for International Governance Innovation) would do that to him, that if he thought about it, I had not even raised my voice to him nor lost my temper.”

Thakur said he was becoming very concerned at the lack of guidance on boundaries between the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and the governance centre. He told Coates and UW’s then-president, David Johnston, about his concern.

Seven months later, in May, Thakur was let go as director.

Balsillie would not comment as he is not involved with the matter, said Fred Kuntz, senior director of communications for the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Kuntz described a different perspective, one in which “faculty and students noticed things weren’t being run properly” under Thakur.

“There was a bit of an uprising,” he said. “They went to the university, there was a performance review, as there should be … and he was terminated.”

Kuntz said the centre has the right to make sure the school’s programs are meeting the stated mandate.

But he got the sense that Thakur “didn’t want (the Centre for International Governance Innovation) at the table at all.”

Moreover, he said he is “deeply disturbed” that this is the way Balsillie is treated for his generosity to this community.

Meanwhile, a memo from Coates detailed other “serious issues” with Thakur’s leadership at the time he was terminated as director.

In the April 29 memo, Coates describes a lack of focus, difficulties with communication, and inattention to budget and strategic planning.

Thakur wrote Coates a detailed 18-page response, pointing out examples of praise for his work, refuting the criticism, and reproducing or recounting emailed conversations between himself and the other parties to show the environment he was working in.

As for lack of budget planning, “the brute fact is that I have a budget of zero dollars,” he wrote. “I am not sure how I am expected to present a budget for a whole year in these circumstances.” Thakur concluded by saying, “I strongly refute the charge that I am responsible either advertently or inadvertently.” Coates said Thakur is still a gifted political science professor, and continues to be employed in that regard by University of Waterloo, as far as UW is concerned.

[SP!RE]

Any photo updates of the site? Pretty please?

[metropolis]

They have paved over with curbs and all accessories the lot on which the highrise is to sit along Caroline. Guess this isn't in the cards in the near future...

[Section ThirtyOne]

Any photo updates of the site? Pretty please?

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/files/1332/P1000480.jpg

Taken from the corner of Father David Bauer and Caroline. As you can see, the parking lot has been paved and all of the contractors now have their vehicles in there. New curbs have been poured on Father David Bauer, and it looks like we are going to get some new decorative streetlights.

Also, the tower crane you see is for the new hotel; the Balsillie crane was taken down a couple of weeks ago.

[Trogdor]

They have paved over with curbs and all accessories the lot on which the highrise is to sit along Caroline. Guess this isn't in the cards in the near future...

I don't think the high rise tower was ever planned for Phase 1. In the master plan (http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/Master%20Plan_Presentation%20to%20Council_Feb%2020 09.pdf) it's shown as being part of Phase 2 which is to be completed for 2015. The plan shows parking in that location for the interim.

[Tinbasher]

119

[Tinbasher]

120

This is the courtyard. Picture taken November 1 ,2010

[SP!RE]

Great update! Thanks, tinbasher :)

Are you working on the site? I'm curious as to when glazing on the second and third floor are going up. Though I guess they did say that it would be Christmas before it's entirely closed up.

[Tinbasher]

Great update! Thanks, tinbasher :)

Are you working on the site? I'm curious as to when glazing on the second and third floor are going up. Though I guess they did say that it would be Christmas before it's entirely closed up.

Yes I am, we are doing the plumbing and heating. The stone veneer is being installed first and then the windows, cooper are installing plastic in the windows so we can heat the building for the winter with some portable heaters.

[Section ThirtyOne]

While walking by today, I noticed they have installed a ton of the larger windows on the north and west sides of the main floor. Also as Tinbasher mentioned, they've installed a bunch of plastic on the second and third floor windows as well. Not 100% complete, but coming along nicely!

[Tinbasher]

The bricklayers should be starting on the north side next week weather permitting. I saw the test wall veneer today, it looks to be the same as CIGI next door.

[UrbanWaterloo]

November 22, 2010

BRICK
http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/020%20Resized.JPG

[Trogdor]

Thanks for the pictures UW! To add to that, the School released another video on their blog today. It shows a pretty decent render of what the campus is going to look like when it's complete. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QcRepRccbw&feature=player_embedded


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QcRepRccbw

[Section ThirtyOne]

December 2, 2010

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/files/1332/P1000526.JPG

All sealed up for Winter, with lots of activity going on around the site. Lots of windows installed on the main floor now!

[metropolis]

They have been working on the lighting and doing some of the groundscaping around Caroline today where the new parking has been laid. They have not however done anything behind the building, in front of the Seagram Lofts. All the construction trailers are still there. Anyone know if this is logistical (as I suspect) or is there a remote prospect they are starting this phase as phase 1 wraps up next year?

[Duke-of-Waterloo]

Thanks for the update SectionThirtyOne. That's a good location to take a picture to show just how large this first phase is. I love how you can see PI in the background too.

[RangersFan]

Thanks for the pictures UW! To add to that, the School released another video on their blog today. It shows a pretty decent render of what the campus is going to look like when it's complete. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QcRepRccbw&feature=player_embedded


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QcRepRccbw

Its sort of odd but in this video is doesn't show in any of the 3d models or renders the phase 3 11 storey building, I hope it is still in the plans for the project.

[Spokes]

Its sort of odd but in this video is doesn't show in any of the 3d models or renders the phase 3 11 storey building, I hope it is still in the plans for the project.

I wouldn't be concerned. They clearly only show the first and second phase in the video. They probably don't want to get peoples expectations up for as to when the third and fourth phases will happen.

EDIT: After watching the video a 2nd time though you can see the 12 storey building in the 3D models

[SP!RE]

All we've seen for the 12-storey building so far are just massing models. It will eventually happen, but it's far too early to expect to see it in renderings and walk-throughs. It's included in the 3D model of the project however.

[panamaniac]

All we've seen for the 12-storey building so far are just massing models. It will eventually happen, but it's far too early to expect to see it in renderings and walk-throughs. It's included in the 3D model of the project however.

SP!RE! I have been waiting for you to post something about the video seeming to show bells in some of the views of the belltower. :RpS_biggrin:

[SP!RE]

Haha yeah, it's a part of the final design. I just think it looks awkward and I don't understand what they will be using it for. But, whatever, you can't win'em all. ;)

[myfaceisonfire]

December 2, 2010

http://www.aww-kittah-aww.com/up/files/1332/P1000526.JPG

All sealed up for Winter, with lots of activity going on around the site. Lots of windows installed on the main floor now!

Driving past today it looks like the three story cutout that is tarped off in this pic has been sealed with the same dark glass that is being used on the ground floor. It looks sharp!

[Tinbasher]

This is a shot taken Friday from inside the courtyard facing North. The second picture is some of the Owen Sound buffed granite that is being installed.The granite will wrap around the exterior wall of the auditorium from inside the huge lobby all the way to the 9 m high wooden ceiling,with accent lighting from the floor ceiling this is going to be very impressive once finished.

247

248

[Spokes]

Looks fantastic! Thanks for the pictures!

[SP!RE]

Great update, tinbasher! Thanks! :)

[UrbanWaterloo]

December 30, 2010

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20December%2030,%202010%20Resized.JPG

[UrbanWaterloo]

December 2010 Update
Link (http://www.cigionline.org/project/cigi-campus-construction)

Project Status

The CIGI Campus is scheduled for substantial completion by August 1, 2011.

Summary of Significant Progress: December 2010

Exterior
- The roof is installed to the north, west and partial south elevations
- Window installation is approximately 20% complete
- The parking lot areas have all been curbed and the first coat of asphalt applied
- Curbs and sidewalks at the Father David Bauer Drive frontage have commenced
- All underground work along Father David Bauer Drvie is complete

Interior
- Steel stud walls are complete on the 2nd and 3rd floors with 25% complete on the ground floor
- The phone and gas lines are in the building and live
- Building openings are currently being closed-in to permit temporary heat to be turned on to allow interior work to proceed over the winter months

[Spokes]

The CIGI Campus is scheduled for substantial completion by August 1, 2011.

Great news!! I can't wait for the grand opening of this thing to wander around and check it out.


- Building openings are currently being closed-in to permit temporary heat to be turned on to allow interior work to proceed over the winter months

Im sure the workers are quite happy about this :)

[UrbanWaterloo]

January 17, 2011

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Uptown/Balsille%20School/Balsille%20School%20-%20January%2017,%202011%20Resized.JPG

[myfaceisonfire]

BIG fan of the glass on this project, it looks great. I'm not sold on the brick facade quite yet, I wish it more closely matched the CIGI buildiing next door. I'm sure it will still turn out great though.

[Tinbasher]

second floor noth wing

295

second floor west wing

296

[Trogdor]

Those would be the offices I presume?

[josephfung]

If you're interested, we just posted some more photos of the campus here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cigi_media/

[UrbanWaterloo]

March 14, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Balsille%20School%20-%20March%2014,%202011%20-%201a%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Balsille%20School%20-%20March%2014,%202011%20-%202%20Resized.jpg

[UWaterloo]

This development is coming along nicely.

[josephfung]

We have more photos up now (including some shots of the courtyard that's coming along nicely) http://ow.ly/4zInc

[benjaminbach]

Thanks Joseph, looks terrific !

[RangersFan]

May 15, 2011
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/Balsillie%20school%20of%20international%20affairs/May152011BSIA5-1.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/Balsillie%20school%20of%20international%20affairs/May152011BSIA4.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/Balsillie%20school%20of%20international%20affairs/May152011BSIA1.jpg

[UWaterloo]

I'm looking forward to photo updates on this project!

[urbangeographer]

Noticed the bell or bells getting ready to be installed when I drove by this morning only got a quick glance. Camera crews were there it looked like to document it. Maybe on the news tonight?

[WaterlooNative]

Jim Balsillie will get his Oxbridge bells. The Record quoted someone as saying that the paperwork hadn't been completed that would confirm when CIGI could let the bells be rung. My guess is 7:00am to 11:00pm to match the noise bylaw with exceptions for special occasions (New Years Eve?).

Unless of course the wind blows the noise towards Luther Village where the residents won't be able to hear their own bells ring.

[IEFBR14]

Noticed the bell or bells getting ready to be installed when I drove by this morning only got a quick glance. Camera crews were there it looked like to document it. Maybe on the news tonight?
And here I thought that tower was going to be Jim's office ;)

As for news, Bronze bells will toll atop tower at new campus (http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/580433--bronze-bells-will-toll-atop-tower-at-new-campus)

[IEFBR14]

Unless of course the wind blows the noise towards Luther Village where the residents won't be able to hear their own bells ring.
If you knew anything about the subject you'd realize how insensitive that comment is :RpS_thumbdn:

[mpd618]

If you knew anything about the subject you'd realize how insensitive that comment is :RpS_thumbdn:

That's not terribly helpful. Care to fill it in for the rest of us, who might know about the subject but don't know what you want us to know about the subject?

[IEFBR14]

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=167&page=2&p=6314#post6314

(http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=167&page=2&p=6314#post6314)Silence deafening at Waterloo Park (http://www.totalwomanshow.ca/article/533656)

Noise has been an issue for LV residents for many years. Admittedly there needs to be a balance between their needs and that of the public in general. But I can tell you that when there's a loud, amplified event going on at night in Waterloo Park it can be heard by LV residents even if they have their windows shut.

Snarky, insensitive comments like the one I challenged don't help in establishing that balance.

[BuildingScout]

But I can tell you that when there's a loud, amplified event going on at night in Waterloo Park it can be heard by LV residents even if they have their windows shut.

Waterloo park was there before Luther Village. If their windows do not properly insulate for noise whose fault is it?

What we have right now is a few hundred seniors trying to impose a change of use of a park that serves over one hundred thousand people and was there before their badly constructed residences.

Sorry, but I have no sympathy for people who move next to a highway/airport/waste dump/park and then suddenly "discover" that the noise/smell/music from normal usage of those places can have its drawbacks.

[panamaniac]

I am wondering whether this discussion of bells will draw SPIRE back to the thread? :RpS_smile: Personally, I love bells and I can't remember if there are any that sound regularly Uptown, but I would be surprised if these new bells give rise to complaints. There are a couple of Downtown churches that still sound them and I find that the sound just adds something pleasant to the urban texture. Kitchener's old City Hall also had bells to mark time. The more the better, as far as I am concerned.

[IEFBR14]

What we have right now is a few hundred seniors trying to impose a change of use of a park that serves over one hundred thousand people and was there before their badly constructed residences.No. They're asking for some consideration just as anyone near a source of noise might ask.

They're also asking the city to enforce its own noise bylaws that it seems some users of the park were violating. Surely you're not saying that those users can violate noise bylaws with impunity.

But my objection is to the snarky, sarcastic and insensitive tone that this issue is taking here. I can't believe that those who want consideration for their pet issues would dismiss seniors in this way.

[BuildingScout]

No. They're asking for some consideration just as anyone near a source of noise might ask.


This consideration does not extend equally to all places.

People who move next to an airport do not have a right to "considerations than just as anyone near a source of noise might ask". They can ask all they want, and the answer should be no all the same.



They're also asking the city to enforce its own noise bylaws that it seems some users of the park were violating.


Usually events like this ask and receive noise-by-law exemptions.

I place most of the fault on city hall. They should have demanded much stricter noisy insulation standards from this development, considering that is right next to an open air auditorium. The rest of the fault lies on the senior citizens who move next to an open air auditorium only to be surprised that there is noise coming their way.

[IEFBR14]

People who move next to an airport do not have a right to "considerations than just as anyone near a source of noise might ask". They can ask all they want, and the answer should be no all the same.
People who live near an airport can and do work with the airport operator to try to balance each other's needs. For instance by restricting the use of specific runways and/or certain aircraft types during certain times, requesting pilots to use noise abatement protocols when taking off, etc.


Usually events like this ask and receive noise-by-law exemptions. There's a big difference here. Presumably the bells would ring 24x7x365 compared to events that take place only occasionally. But even so, with some cooperation by both parties, the bells could, for example, be silenced or toned-down from late at night until early morning.

This is all speculation at this point since we don't know how louds the bells will be or if the sound will propagate far enough to disturb people at LV.

We also don't know if they'll be an issue for the people who live closer to the bell tower, e.g. on Euclid Ave. They were there long before this project was even just a gleam in Jim's eye. So by your "I was here first" logic Jim shouldn't be allowed to ring his bells without first getting their consent. Did he?

But again, my objection isn't to the bells per se. (How could I object? I don't know what's being planned, when they're going to ring or how loud a sound they'll make.)

My objection continues to be to the snarky, sarcastic and insensitive tone that this issue is taking here. For a site that's dedicated to a reasoned discussion of urban issues I find this strident knee-jerk anti-senior and/or anti-NIMBY attitude to be appalling.

[BuildingScout]

People who live near an airport can and do work with the airport operator to try to balance each other's needs. For instance by restricting the use of specific runways and/or certain aircraft types during certain times, requesting pilots to use noise abatement protocols when taking off, etc.

In the past, they have and is to the discredit of City Hall that (1) they allow the developments in the first place and (2) they listen to complaints from said citizens. For one you never heard the prospective residents complain when they got their property at a deep discount over others at more preferable locations.

[IEFBR14]

In the past, they have and is to the discredit of City Hall that (1) they allow the developments in the first place and (2) they listen to complaints from said citizens...
Suppose you owned farm land west of Waterloo. You'd planned some day to sell it as development spread to the west. The money would be used to fund your retirement. Then one day the city decides to build a dump/landfill next to your property. Because of concerns about smell, traffic, water pollution, etc. your retirement plans are dashed because you won't be able to sell your land to developers at anywhere close to its previous value. Should you be able to stop the dump/landfill? Should you be able to get the city to compensate you for the lost value in your land?

When someone builds a dump/landfill or an airport or a highway, etc. how much "dead" land should there be to buffer people from the increased noise, smell, pollution, traffic that ensues?

These issues aren't quite as simple as you seem to think.

[BuildingScout]

Suppose you owned farm land west of Waterloo...

In your latest scenario ownership preceds the development. That is an entirely different situation that must be dealt in its own way.

The case we were discussing is that of a public facility servicing over one hundred thousand residents that cannot be fully utilized because of the complains of a few hundred citizens who moved into said location well after the public facility had been built.

[IEFBR14]

First, has anyone from LV complained about noise from the bells? All we have is this comment which, as far as I can tell, is pure speculation and an unfounded negative aspersion against people who live in LV:

Unless of course the wind blows the noise towards Luther Village where the residents won't be able to hear their own bells ring.
As I keep saying, my main objection is to the attitude embodied in posts like this, not with the noise from the bells.


The case we were discussing is that of a public facility servicing over one hundred thousand residents that cannot be fully utilized because of the complains of a few hundred citizens who moved into said location well after the public facility had been built.
Again, who has complained?

In any case, never mind LV and their recent arrival in this area. I asked you about people who live on, say, Euclid Ave, a block away from Balsillie. Most of those residents "moved into said location well before the public facility had been built."

Let me ask you again: By your "I was here first" logic why should Jim be allowed to ring his bells without first getting their consent or at least making concessions to their need for peace and quiet?

[BuildingScout]

Again, who has complained?

In any case, never mind LV and their recent arrival in this area. I asked you about people who live on, say, Euclid Ave, a block away from Balsillie. Most of those residents "moved into said location well before the public facility had been built."
?

I'm not defending the bells. I'm criticizing people who complain about noise from existing facilities, and yes, people from LV have complained in the past about noise from Waterloo park.

I have no opinion as to the bells. We'll have to see how loud they are and how often they are rung. Depending on that I might be in favor or against them.

[IEFBR14]

I'm criticizing people who complain about noise from existing facilities, and yes, people from LV have complained in the past about noise from Waterloo park.AFAIK there have been no complaints from LV about noise from the bells. Let's cross that bridge if, as and when we get to it.

As for previous complaints about noise in Waterloo Park, even the targets of the complaints have been sympathetic, e.g. from the article I linked to, "'I can empathize. It might be music to some and noise to others. It's not their fault,'' [LINK organizer Sylma Fletcher] said."

Then "[Roger Albrecht, co-organizer of the Non-Violence Festival] said a City of Waterloo employee was using a sound meter to gauge the decibels. Albrecht recalls it being noon hour and being told they were too noisy."

Are you suggesting that events be allowed to take place in a public park even if the noise level exceeds city bylaws?


I have no opinion as to the bells. We'll have to see how loud they are and how often they are rung. Depending on that I might be in favor or against them.Exactly. And yet you came to the defense of a poster who took it to be a foregone conclusion that LV residents would complain even before he, you, I or any LV residents has heard them.

Then you wonder why I took offense to the attitude? :RpS_confused:

[Section ThirtyOne]

Forget the bells, they really need to do something regarding the vertical lights they have installed on the sidewalk at the rear of the building.

They shine right in my window! Talk about light pollution. :RpS_cursing:

[mpd618]

Unless of course the wind blows the noise towards Luther Village where the residents won't be able to hear their own bells ring.


Noise has been an issue for LV residents for many years. ... Snarky, insensitive comments like the one I challenged don't help in establishing that balance.

I don't think WaterlooNative was being quite as snarky as is suggested. As far as I know, Luther Village has its own bells that do ring throughout the day. More than that, it sounds like they've got a carillon or something in there that produces music or noise (sometimes I can't tell). Unless I am mistaking the source of the bell-ringing....


Presumably the bells would ring 24x7x365 compared to events that take place only occasionally. But even so, with some cooperation by both parties, the bells could, for example, be silenced or toned-down from late at night until early morning.

I'm not sure why you would assume bells would ring 24 hours a day. Is that really the most common practice?

[IEFBR14]

I don't think WaterlooNative was being quite as snarky as is suggested.
Fooled me, considering no one from LV has yet objected to bells that have yet to peal. Seems like a gratuitous attack on [only] the residents of LV on the basis of mere conjecture.


As far as I know, Luther Village has its own bells that do ring throughout the day...Correct. And while I'm not a resident, I'm not aware of any objections to them. I don't know if they ring at night.


I'm not sure why you would assume bells would ring 24 hours a day.I was trying to make a point about cooperation, e.g. that IF they rang around the clock and the sound was objectionable at night, then perhaps they could be shut off or toned down during certain hours.

[Tinbasher]

I heard today in a meeting that there will be an open doors to the public on Sept 19.

[myfaceisonfire]

I'm surprised the residents of LV didn't object to you hearing something :RpS_rolleyes:

[SP!RE]

Man, it's quiet around the forums lately.

Did anyone get any photos of the CIGI Campus during Doors Open last weekend?

Also, I had never seen this rendering before, from the Cooper website:
599

[myfaceisonfire]

Love the render! I took a few shots but nothing spectacular. http://www.flickr.com/photos/87227781@N00/sets/72157627742586350/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/87227781@N00/sets/72157627742586350/)

[panamaniac]

At the risk of being sorry I asked, how are the bells working out? :RpS_smile:

[RangersFan]

Love the render! I took a few shots but nothing spectacular. http://www.flickr.com/photos/87227781@N00/sets/72157627742586350/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/87227781@N00/sets/72157627742586350/)

Great shots, very high quality

[urbandreamer]

Hells bells but this project is beautiful! And the bell tower is really a great touch.

The only thing that sucks is all the parking and open space surrounding this site--from Caroline to Uptown Square to Clay Gallery, etc. For example, why does Uptown need this park? The sculptures look tacky and I rarely see the space in use. I think it needs to be replaced by several D+S yellow brick loft buildings to compliment the new and the old.

13 May 2012 site visit:

http://imageshack.us/a/img14/8432/195pj.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img713/9342/191cvo.jpg

Love this angle--fantastic!
http://imageshack.us/a/img840/1826/184qe.jpg

[img]

[.FLH.]

At the risk of being sorry I asked, how are the bells working out? :RpS_smile:

I don't know if they have been ringing at all. I live on Erb, near Westmount, every night we hear Our Lady of Lords at 6 pm and on Sundays. I don't know if i have heard them going.

[.FLH.]

Hells bells but this project is beautiful! And the bell tower is really a great touch.

The only thing that sucks is all the parking and open space surrounding this site--from Caroline to Uptown Square to Clay Gallery, etc. For example, why does Uptown need this park? The sculptures look tacky and I rarely see the space in use. I think it needs to be replaced by several D+S yellow brick loft buildings to compliment the new and the old.

13 May 2012 site visit:

http://imageshack.us/a/img14/8432/195pj.jpg



Love this angle--fantastic!


[img]

I believe the park you are pointing out is a tribute to Seagram's. Judging by the rendering the parking lot across from Valu-Mart on the Balsillie Campus is going to be a tower at some point. Park users, the 10 clay gallery visitors a year use the lot by the train station.

[Greg Moore]

Park users, the 10 clay gallery visitors a year use the lot by the train station.
*snort* :D

[WaterlooNative]

The park between the Seagram's lofts and Caroline were an award-winning design that incorporated elements from the local demolished factories including Seagrams and Canbar (ex Sunshine, now underneath the Barrelyards). Now by award winning I mean, it won a lot of prizes for its concept, but in terms of usability it left something to be desired.

The parking lot (Museum Lot) across the street is used by the gallery visitors, Perimeter Institute patrons (surprise! Expand the building and you run out of parking) and the patrons of the Waterloo Central Railway (surprise! Most people, including those from out of town, prefer to drive to the station than to take transit, walk or bike). The City also leases about half the lot to monthly parking patrons (presumably including Marsland tenants etc). There is a waiting list to get into that the Museum lot.

[mpd618]

...incorporated elements from the local demolished factories including Seagrams and Canbar (ex Sunshine, now underneath the Barrelyards).

Total tangent, but I was pretty sure Sunshine was where Luther Village and the Memorial Recreation Centre are now. (Bonus: photos of Sunshine (http://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/results?fsu=Sunshine+Waterloo+Company+%28Waterloo% 2C+Ont%2E%29). Everyone likes Sunshine (http://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/75803/image/203157?n=13).)