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| Artist's rendition of the new academic building on Coburg Road, set to open this fall |
Take a quick stroll around Dalhousie鈥檚 campus and you鈥檇 be hard-pressed not to run smack into a major building project on the go. On the corner of LeMarchant Street and Coburg Road, you鈥檒l find the $33-million academic building under construction. Further along, work continues on the $60-million Life Science Research Institute (LSRI) at the corner of College and Summer Streets.
But those two high profile projects are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new building projects, says Jeff Lamb, assistant vice president, Facilities Management.
Some of the new projects include:
- $800,000 renovations to the Grad House, set to open imminently
- $6.5 million renovation to the Tupper Link to equip two theatres with technology to provide distance education to 黑料吃瓜网Medical School鈥檚 New Brunswick campus, opening in September
- $27 million retrofit of the Life Sciences Centre
- Renovations to the Henry Hicks Building to accommodate Student Services and Research Services
- $6 million Shirreff Hall retrofit including electrical upgrades and renovations to washrooms; begins this summer
Proposed projects include:
- Interprofessional health building
-聽New classroom and administration to amalgamate departments within the Faculty of Health Professions
-聽Situated on old Grace site on Summer Street - New entrance for the Weldon Law Building
- Proposed renovations to the 黑料吃瓜网Arts Centre
-聽Includes an addition on the Seymour Street side of the building for a new performing arts space and to bring the costume studies program back to Studley campus - A new Sexton IDEA corridor
-聽This project is pending funding and would connect the Sexton campus buildings - A new mixed-use building on LeMarchant Street opposite Risley Hall
-聽This project would聽provide much-needed new residence space (300 beds)
-聽Two floors would be used by Student Services
-聽RFPs have been submitted for design and project management services
-聽Scheduled for a September 2012 opening.
鈥淭he needs are there, obviously,鈥� says Mr. Lamb. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e doing our best to meet those needs.鈥�
Building projects at Dal have seen a huge jump in investment in recent years. The university invested $19 million in capital construction and maintenance projects three years ago, which jumped to $75 million this year and $105 million projected for next year (2010-11).
The reason for this big leap is continual demand for more space. 鈥淲hen I arrived there was still slop (a slang planning term to available space hidden away in a nook and/or cranny of your existing space),鈥� recalls Mr. Lamb. 鈥淪ix years ago whether it鈥檚 in classroom usage or office or storage space usage, there were a lot of spaces that were underutilized and we were able to accommodate needs. The slop isn鈥檛 there anymore.鈥�
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| Rendition of the Life Sciences Research Institute, opening 2011 |
Mr. Lamb acknowledges that the greatest challenge is the difficulty to plan for the long term. 鈥淚鈥檝e got three of my senior team on blood pressure medication,鈥� he jokes. 鈥淥ur systems aren鈥檛 well enough developed on campus yet because when someone needs new space they simply come looking for it instead of thinking how it all fits together.鈥�
So, why now? The last couple of years have seen what Lamb calls a 鈥減erfect storm鈥� 鈥� a board-led remedy to address Dalhousie鈥檚 drastically under funded deferred maintenance budget: money to fix rooms, replace windows and mechanical systems. At the same time the university saw federal funding for different initiatives like the LSRI ($15 million), as well as $27 million from the Knowledge Infrastructure Plan for renovations to the Life Sciences Centre. With a major capital campaign pending, the time is right to begin addressing the campus鈥� pressing space needs.
The view from Mr. Lamb鈥檚 office includes shows the Rowe Management Building, seen by many as a major building success. He鈥檚 excited about the prospect of other buildings as well-liked by the students and staff who use them. He points to the new Coburg academic building and the Grad House as buildings that will 鈥渨ow鈥� the Dal community.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still going to have to deal with some leaking basements and cranky systems, (but) we鈥檙e moving in the right direction, no doubt about it.鈥澛犅�