I just had an inspiring conversation with a Mayor who could not have sounded more thrilled about his city's greatest accomplishment. This was none other than Mayor Craig from Cambridge Ontario. The man was absolutely gushing about the downtown University campus development that saw the School of Architecture locate in their downtown. Mayor Craig said that the benefits from this development actually exceeded any benefits that were in their proposals.
Mayor Craig talked about how the University just secured the Internationally recognized Venice bennale http://www.labiennale.org/en/. This could not have happened without the downtown location.
He talked about a recent North American Conference just held where downtown facilities were able to handle the overflow from the University Campus. Again, something that could not have happened had the Campus been located elsewhere.
Mayor Craig said he could talk for hours about how this Downtown Campus gave their city credibility in the region and brought investor confidence that is directly related to a half dozen new developments in their downtown.
He referred me to the Dean of this school Professor Rick Haldenby who he said could be also go on for hours about how happy the University was.
What we need now is for our University's board of Governors to educate themselves about the benefits of Downtown Campus'. Especially Dr. Lloyd Brown-John who has recently said he thought a campus would not be beneficial to a downtown. I understand that their PhD's trump my B.A. but it seems like they should be listening to experts from world class institutions.
9 comments:
As a P.S. Check out that picture which a downtown Windsor campus could easily outdo by flooding the cut next to campus, residences with commercial on the main floor.
you just have to have vision
Amazing!
Does anyone in the University's Board of Governors or city administration know about this?
How can they not want this for Windsor. It boggles the mind.
I read the following quotes from the University of Waterloo's website that sums up their experience...
"History is made every day, but there are some days and events and even moments that change the world. Fifty years from now, historians may very well look back at last night's signing ceremony between the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and the City of Cambridge as the day that proved to be the catalyst for this city's future."
From an editorial in the Cambridge Reporter Mar. 16, 2001, and
"The university's plans may be the most momentous thing to happen here since Toyota's arrival. We endorse it wholeheartedly."
From an editorial in the Cambridge Reporter Feb. 28, 2001, and finally,
"Moving the school from the cramped quarters it currently occupies in Waterloo to a picturesque location on the banks of the Grand River is an integral part of a bigger plan to make the institution one of the world's best and one that would help consolidate this region's global reputation for education and research. It is a shrewd investment of public money because it builds on a proven success."
From an editorial in the KW Record Oct.11, 2001
Not putting the new Centre for Engineering Innovation downtown would be one of the biggest offences the University could perpetrate and the biggest blunder the City could allow.
Additionally. We should not be fixated on the Engineering School. Any faculty would be great. I'd personally like to see the law school
Ya know, in reading about this Cambridge mayor, and the Hamilton mayor, It just reinforces the unfortunate fact that Windsor got screwed with king eddie. To think of the damage at work and effort needed to reverse current mindset at city hall. So sad.
Why would you think that our mayor does not support these initiatives?
Are we blaming the wrong guy? It is really Eddie Francis who won't put the university campus downtown or is it Ross Paul?
I happen to know that Francis has a lot invested in getting the University downtown, and that he has extensive plans, drawings and renderings that would make us urban revival fans drool.
He is being stonewalled. We must find out why and where we can best exert our pressure.
Get yourself to the forum Mark Boscariol has set up at the Armouries this Tuesday at 6:00 to learn first-hand the impact a development like this can have on our city. This is not a done-deal yet, folks. All we need to do is encourage EVERYONE to make their feelings known!
it is most interesting that the biggest proponent of this project are business owners in the core.
Cough up the cash City of Windsor and maybe the U can do it. And we're talking about more than just $15 million. The City of Kitchener PAID IN FULL for their pharmacy school to be located downtown.
Maybe, we should impose a special levy on downtown businesses, say 5% to be directed to funding the U.
The Downtown Windsor BIA has already publicly announced that they would commit $500,000 for infrastructure and beautification of the lands immediately surrounding a downtown campus location of the Engineering Faculty. I strongly believe they would be willing to commit even more had they been engaged to discuss their proposal.
Prof Rick Haldenby told a terrific tale of the revitalization of Cambridge's whole city and partnership created with the Architectural campus. It was amazing to hear what benefit the city had become for the students and vice versa. It was a truly inspirational story on how Windsor could start right now shaping its own destiny.
Thanks, Mark Boscariol for bringing a truly amazing and informed speaker on this issue to Windsor.
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