Complete Conestoga College: Cambridge Campus Expansion | 12-20 m | 3-5 fl

[DHLawrence]

It should become a student district, if the zoning is properly done. It if becomes a ghetto you can blame city council for that. A student district has mixed usages, services for all citizens and special regulations that facilitate the student-resident mix (e.g. requirements for bonded contracts with lawn-keeping companies for rental properties, parking facilities of appropriate size, reasonable noise regulations and so on).

Have you been to Preston Heights? If it becomes a student ghetto nobody will know the difference.

[KevinL]

That's the College's residence though right?

Not much private investment?

The college didn't build it themselves, it's a private building strategically located.

To my knowledge the college owns no residential property.

[Spokes]

The college didn't build it themselves, it's a private building strategically located.

To my knowledge the college owns no residential property.

Oh I always thought it was an existing building that they bought.

[garthdanlor]

The college didn't build it themselves, it's a private building strategically located.

To my knowledge the college owns no residential property.

I'm not exactly sure who owns the residence, but it started off as a hotel.

[Spokes]

I'm not exactly sure who owns the residence, but it started off as a hotel.

That was what I thought too.

[garthdanlor]

It should become a student district, if the zoning is properly done. It if becomes a ghetto you can blame city council for that. A student district has mixed usages, services for all citizens and special regulations that facilitate the student-resident mix (e.g. requirements for bonded contracts with lawn-keeping companies for rental properties, parking facilities of appropriate size, reasonable noise regulations and so on).

The Doon Campus has been around for decades and has spurred very little development in the area, and the residential area around Doon has remained largely single family. Not sure that the Cambridge campus on the very edge of the town will have much affect on Preston Heights...at least in the short term.

[Section ThirtyOne]

The Doon Campus has been around for decades and has spurred very little development in the area, and the residential area around Doon has remained largely single family. Not sure that the Cambridge campus on the very edge of the town will have much affect on Preston Heights...at least in the short term.

Of note is that property owners around the campus are EXTREMELY resistant to student residences in their neighbourhood. It always blew my mind how militant they were.

[Urban_Enthusiast86]

Almost everyone who goes to Conestoga College right now drives. It's way different than the UW/WLU...In my program alone only 1 person takes the bus and maybe 10 people live close by, everyone else drives.

Having taken a few continuing ed courses there, my experience of Conestoga College was that it was very much a commuter campus, which is very different from UW/WLU. A lot of the people there live in Waterloo Region or at least commuting distance. Whatever few out-of-towners go to school there probably have no problem renting in regular apartment buildings or boarding in people's houses.

[metropolis]

Of note is that property owners around the campus are EXTREMELY resistant to student residences in their neighbourhood. It always blew my mind how militant they were.

Doesn't suprise me. One word as to why says it all I think: Northdale.

[UrbanWaterloo]

February 22, 2011

[BuildingScout]

Doesn't suprise me. One word as to why says it all I think: Northdale.

You got it backwards. Northdale is the result of residents being resistant to student residences. Approving a few key towers on busy intersections near campus is all it would have been needed to stop Northdale from happening. Residents resisted that thirty years ago and that's why we have Northdale.

Watch CC neighbours make the same mistakes all over again.

[Waterlooer]

Conestoga College's New Health Facility on track
Feb 27, 2011 | 570 News | Link

Conestoga College's new health care teaching facility is on-time and on-budget.

College President, John Tibbits, hosted a media tour recently of the new 7,000 square foot wing of their Doon Campus, which is still under construction, but expected to be open for classes this September.

Tibbits says the facility will start off teaching four or five programs, but eventually will teach eighteen programs, mainly focused on nursing.

Other programs will cover respiratory technology and paramedics work.

A significant number of students who will attend classes at the new facility will be there for job retraining, Tibbits adds.

Tibbits says this new health care centre represents a "renaissance" for the college.

He explains, it's an example of how Conestoga is not only growing but adding a more comprehensive mix of programs, with a balance between elite world-class programs and more straight forward one- and two-year programs.

Tibbits says the cost of the roughly $24-million project is covered by grants from the federal government, the provincial government, the Region of Waterloo, and the rest will be covered by their own fundraising.

[Section ThirtyOne]

I drove by here for the first time in a while yesterday, and the new campus is REALLY coming along. I was very impressed with the amount of progress in just the last couple of months!

[bcwessel]

Given the incredible amount of surface parking on the main campus, I can't help feel that this development is a bit of a missed opportunity. Why not turn the new site into a massive parking lot, and install the new buildings on the underused spaces of the existing campus? Not only would you have the chance to enhance the experience of the original campus, but things like transit access would be much more functional and less complicated to implement.

[DHLawrence]

Let's go even further: why build Conestoga on a farmer's field straddling a highway to begin with when it could have been built along Hespeler Road or across from Fairview Mall?

Think of parking lots as great big "This space reserved" signs. Colleges and universities build on their parking lots all the time; University of Guelph has done so. Different departments have different needs, so keeping space available in different areas of campus will allow departments to expand as necessary without having to relocate to a completely new building.

[metropolis]

Not to mention the acres of parking they have that could be rolled into a single multi level parking structure, save them on land acquisition and infrastructure costs to get services out there. I feel like this whole thing could have been housed along here in perhaps some slightly taller structures. With a 5 storey parking garage here over top of the surface lot to accomodate the lost parking and the new parking needs. This whole project smells of bad politics to me.

Given the incredible amount of surface parking on the main campus, I can't help feel that this development is a bit of a missed opportunity. Why not turn the new site into a massive parking lot, and install the new buildings on the underused spaces of the existing campus? Not only would you have the chance to enhance the experience of the original campus, but things like transit access would be much more functional and less complicated to implement.

Like I said a little while back (quoted above): bad politics is the only way to explain this one; Cambridge wanted a campus, gave all sorts of concessions to the College, heckled their local MP or MPP and voila.

[UrbanWaterloo]

May 12, 2011

[VernacularArc]

Hi everybody!

I just moved to Waterloo 2 month ago because i wanted to complete my studies @ Conestoga college, I was under the impression that the Architectural Program is offered in the Kitchener Campus until i got my acceptance letter saying "Cambridge"...I was surprised because i didn't even know a Cambridge Campus existed!... anyways, I'm happy to be in Waterloo it's a wonderful city with nice people

Thanks for the useful form

[VernacularArc]

Any Idea how I would get to the Cambridge Campus Via Transit from Columbia and Erbsville... this whole area looks to be new with confusing roundabouts lol

Thanks

[mpd618]

Welcome to the forums, VernacularArc! I should say, though, that you should stick to regular size / regular colour text unless you need to emphasize something particular.

Any Idea how I would get to the Cambridge Campus Via Transit from Columbia and Erbsville... this whole area looks to be new with confusing roundabouts lol

I think the current "Cambridge Campus" is down in Galt, not the new one by the 401. You could bike or take the 13 to UW - Davis Centre, and take the iXpress the rest of the way.