New campus would sit on land near Pan Am Centre

Region announces $25M to support proposal

yorkregion.com
Sept. 11, 2014
By Bernie O’Neil

The next steps toward a proposed York University satellite campus in the heart of Markham were revealed during a special announcement Thursday afternoon.

Regional politicians, media and supporters gathered at the Remington Group Presentation Centre on Enterprise Boulevard as Mayor Frank Scarpitti spoke of the proposed campus’ location, in collaboration with academic partner Seneca College.

“At our most recent meeting, council unanimously agreed to contribute five acres of land for the new campus,” he said, followed by an eruption of cheers.

The campus would be north of Hwy. 407 between Warden Avenue and Kennedy Road on a site not far from the new Pan Am Aquatic Centre - in the midst of the Markham Centre, a booming area of the city that is still in the process of being developed.

“This will be an incredible environment to learn in and the city of Markham looks forward to supporting this proposal,” Scarpitti said.

York Region chairman and CEO, Bill Fisch, announced the region’s intention to provide a large investment in the project.

“I am very proud to say that regional council has unanimously supported the funding of $25 million as of this morning,” he said.

“When the bid is won, we will be there every step of the way.”

Whether or not the bid will be approved is yet to be determined, as York U. will submit a final campus proposal by Sept. 26 to the Ontario government in hopes of increasing student capacity.

York Region is one of the fastest growing urban areas in Canada, with Markham at the forefront of economic and transit development.

“A campus in York Region has always been one of our aspirations,” York University president and vice-chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri said.

“We are 100 per cent committed to this project. In situating the campus among the heart of a vibrant new urban centre, we aim to offer programs that will meet the needs of York Region.”

Though multiple municipalities entered in the bid for the satellite campus, Markham stood out due to its vast advances in transit, entertainment facilities and other amenities including the nearby YMCA and Markham Pan Am Centre.

If the campus is approved - with an announcement regarding the province’s decision anticipated for next spring - students will have access to a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs for a variety of innovative programs.

“I think we’ve built an unstoppable vision. This is the time for a York University campus,” said Seneca College president David Agnew.

York U. aims to have 5,000 students at its York Region campus within five years and 10,000 to 20,000 within 20 years.

If the proposal is approved by next spring, Mayor Scarpitti says he hopes to see a completed campus up and running by 2018.