Demolition WLU Centre for Global Innovation and Exchange | ? m | ? fl

[Spokes]

According to WLU's Campus Master Plan this building should have a lot more integration with University ave. And it will be connected to the central campus, over University Ave with a skyway.

Im excited to see what the proposals look like, and how it effects that area.

Looking at the master plan, this will be a U shaped building, I wonder how many floors it will take to get 210,000 sq. ft. Hopefully 5+ (that would work out to 42,000 sq ft per floor. Does that sound reasonable?)

[RangersFan]

I am also looking forward to seeing the proposals for this project. I think it has the potential to really change University Ave.

[Spokes]

If you haven't checked out the Campus master plan, its worth the time. They've got some really interesting ideas for their future. They're planning something like 20 years down the road. It's going to be exciting to watch them expand, and densify.

[UrbanWaterloo]

This report Mon Feb 08, 2010.
UNIVERSITY BUILDING Proj: 9105347-3
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON PREPARING PLANS
Centre for Global Innovation and Exchange, University Ave on St Michael's Campus, N2L
http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/c...region=ontario

$27,510,000 est
Note: Architectural Services have recently been awarded. Scope of work, schedules for design, tender and construction are undetermined. Further update May 2010.
Both Architectural Firms are working on this project.
Project: proposed environmentally friendly construction of a Global Innovation and Exchange Building on Campus. This project will aim for LEED Silver Certification.
Scope: 210,000 square feet
Development: New
Category: Educational bldgs
First report Mon Jul 27, 2009. Last report Wed Nov 25, 2009.

[diego]

If you haven't checked out the Campus master plan, its worth the time. They've got some really interesting ideas for their future. They're planning something like 20 years down the road. It's going to be exciting to watch them expand, and densify.

Much more exciting than UW by the way, WLU is becoming really integrated into the city which can only be good.

[Greg Moore]

If you haven't checked out the Campus master plan, its worth the time. They've got some really interesting ideas for their future. They're planning something like 20 years down the road. It's going to be exciting to watch them expand, and densify.

Anyone have a link to it?

[Spokes]

Here you go: http://www.wlu.ca/documents/37546/Ca..._1%2C_2009.pdf

[UrbanWaterloo]

Planning for St. Mike’s campus redevelopement underway
Mike Lakusiak, The Cord
March 31, 2010 6:24 AM
http://www.thecord.ca/articles/29843



As part of Laurier’s Campus Master Plan, a substantial amount of renewal is proposed for both the main campus as well as the university’s facilities to the east, west and most promising, north across University Avenue.
The St. Michael’s campus, a former elementary school that the university acquired in 2001, is the target of major plans for construction of a large multi-story building that would house the School of Business and Economics as well as the math department, graduate studies, research facilities and student organizations. The Global Innovation Exchange building would also have office space to cater to local companies that would be interested in working with the university and recruiting graduates.
“We’re trying to design a building that makes it really easy for people to have ongoing dialogue,” said dean of business and economics Ginny Dybenko, who sat on the project team that organized initial planning of the building.
“That’s what the innovation exchange is all about,” she continued. “The whole lower floor is going to be orchestrated so that there’s tons of opportunity for business people from the community to come in.”
The building is also proposed to be environmentally friendly and very energy efficient.
The 210,000 square foot building, including a pedestrian overpass over University Avenue in place of the current crosswalk, would be Laurier’s flagship building at the Waterloo campus according to documents sent to prospective architectural firms.
“This is the highest priority for the university here in Waterloo,” said Laurier president Max Blouw.
“What’s important that people understand is that this is a plan and plans you execute as you’re able to. What we’re proposing will cost a lot of money.” In light of uncertainty with the university’s current financial situation, where the capital to undertake such a project would come from is crucial.
As the projected cost of the building has been estimated at $27.5 million, Blouw explained, “It’s actually more like double that when you get everything done.” “There’s certainly going to be a significant amount of provincial funding, I’m not certain we can raise that kind of money with a targeted fundraising campaign.”
The project is making steps forward however, as an architectural firm has been recently selected. The intention of the university is to present more detailed plans to potential investors and the provincial government as soon as the firm completes preliminary blueprints.
“What we’ll be doing over the summer, based on what I’ve been hearing from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities is putting together a renewed capital request,” said Blouw. “The province needs to look at what we’re proposing, what it will cost and factor that in and come up with a multi-year capital plan.”
“I’m hopeful that by the end of the summer the plans will all be in place,” said Dybenko. “Until [prospective investors] can actually see it in diagrams and tangibly, it’s a lot of money so they can’t really commit.”
Blouw was cautious about stating a date for completion, even though the Campus Master Plan schedules 2012-13 for that particular stage of development to be finished.
“Can I guarantee that it will go ahead in 2011? No I can’t. Can I guarantee that it will in 2012? No I can’t,” he stated.
“It’s very contingent – these projects are always ones where you know what you’d like to do, you make plans for what you’d like to do, and you have a master campus plan that says this is the right thing to do. But at the end of the day it all depends on cobbling the money together to do it.”

[IEFBR14]

This project screams for an overhead covered bridgeway or underground tunnel across University to link the campus.

[Spokes]

The 210,000 square foot building, including a pedestrian overpass over University Avenue in place of the current crosswalk, would be Laurier’s flagship building at the Waterloo campus according to documents sent to prospective architectural firms.

You mean like that one

I hope they don't do it too low to the ground, it can look really bad and make the space look really confined.

[IEFBR14]

You mean like that one

You expect us to carefully read every article before posting comments about it?

This is the Internet ferchrissakes!

[Greg Moore]

This project screams for an overhead covered bridgeway or underground tunnel across University to link the campus.

From the master plan.

[Tinbasher]

I will miss my old school..but at the same time looking forword to this project.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Laurier makes bid for funds to build Milton campus
Feb 03 2011 | Luisa D'Amato, Record Staff | Link

WATERLOO — Wilfrid Laurier University wants to build a new campus in Milton, but it won’t happen unless there’s more government money, says the university’s president, Max Blouw.

Tens of thousands more university places are needed to fulfil the Ontario government’s goal of having 70 per cent participation in post-secondary education.

The Milton campus would provide 4,500 spots to begin with, a number that could double or triple in decades to come, says a report from Laurier to the standing committee on finance and economic affairs at Queen’s Park.

...

But the top priority for that campus is a new Global Innovation Exchange building, worth $80 to $100 million and proposed to be built on the former St. Michael school building, across University Avenue from the main campus. The old school, which now houses classrooms for Laurier, would be demolished to make way for the new building.

This new building would house graduate studies, the school of business and economics, the office of research, and the math department, as well as outside organizations such as Communitech. This would provide new opportunities for research and for management of innovation.

Interesting that the cost of the building has skyrocketed to almost 100 million dollars at the high end of estimates!

[Spokes]

Interesting that the cost of the building has skyrocketed to almost 100 million dollars at the high end of estimates!

I wonder if maybe that includes the cost for the overhead walkway?

[Section ThirtyOne]

I wonder if maybe that includes the cost for the overhead walkway?

Hopefully a walkway won't cost the school 70 million dollars.

If so, perhaps i'll be submitting my own tender. Sounds like there is money to be made here!

[WatDot]

Future buildings showcased
Mike Lakusiak, the Cord
March 2, 2011
http://www.thecord.ca/articles/43221

The tentative plans for the development of the St. Michael’s campus site and substantial additions to the existing buildings along University Ave. were brought before two university committees and the board of governors before Reading Week. The plans featured floor layouts for the Global Innovation Exchange building to be developed on the St. Michael’s site and the Campus Learning Commons proposed to be built between the Quad, Concourse and above the existing Paul Martin Centre to the edge of University Ave. If both proceed as planned, the projects would add approximately 10 acres of indoor physical space.

[WaterlooNative]

Just so it's clear, this render appears to show a planned new building on the south side of University Avenue. I wonder how they plan to address the changes in elevation between Albert and Hazel.

Beyond that, the building looks like a cruise ship bridge, appropriate for a global studies program.

[nchlswu]

Prospective projects like this and initiatives like the i3 Challenge have me hopeful and optimistic that something right will be done with that corridor.