York University Expansion: MARKHAM CENTRE SELECTED

NRU
June 25, 2014
Leah Wong

Markham Centre has been selected as the preferred location for York University’s proposed expansion into York Region, in part because of its urban centre location.

“Markham Centre is located right in the heart of a new urban centre that the City of Markham is in the process of developing,” said York University chief spokesperson Joanne Rider.

The proposed location for the first buildings on the campus is at Enterprise Boulevard, west of Kennedy Road. The site is adjacent to the Pan Am Centre, which will house badminton, table tennis and water polo during the 2015 games. It is also in close proximity to existing public transit and areas that have been slated for future transit investment by the province.

These amenities, as well as the fact that there is no university campus close by, led the selection panel to choose Markham Centre as the preferred location. For residents in Markham it’s a good news development story.

“It’s something the community has been asking for, for a number of years,” local councillor Don Hamilton told NRU. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”

There are already plans underway for several new developments in Markham Centre. A new Cineplex Odeon theatre is going in, which Hamilton said could be used for lecture halls for York students. He noted that Ryerson University has a partnership with its local Cineplex theatre to use theatres as classrooms in the morning.

There are also plans for insurance company Aviva Canada to move its headquarters to downtown Markham and for a new hotel in the area said Hamilton. He expects to see this followed by more shops and restaurants.

“It’s going to be a vibrant, alive place,” said Hamilton. “[The campus] will act as an economic magnet and a driver for more development in the area.”

The expansion into York Region will allow the university to build on its strength in the area. More students in York Region go to York than any other university and the expansion will allow some students to attend classes closer to home.

York University is collaborating with Seneca College on the expansion and representatives from both schools were involved in the selection process. Now that the preferred location has been chosen, York University, Markham and Seneca College will move forward to develop a proposal for the province. This will include details about what programs will be offered at the satellite campus.

While Rider said it is too early in the process to know what programs will be included in the proposal, there will be some York specific programs as well as joint programs with Seneca College at the campus.

The proposal will be submitted to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities by September. It is expected that the ministry will select those universities which will receive funding for satellite campuses in early 2015.

There were a total of five submissions from six municipalities vying for the satellite campus. Proposals from East Gwillimbury, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and jointly from Aurora and Newmarket were submitted. Markham was selected from a shortlist, which also included Richmond Hill and Vaughan.