Western Ontario and Fanshawe College - Page 7

MolsonExport · #**121** Posted **Oct 6, 2011, 12:21 PM**

2-page spread and cover in Western News this morning (Oct 6), largely centering on a proposal for UWO to take over the "Civic Campus" (city hall, centennial, and ajacent) for a downtown campus. The idea being that the city will donate the facilities to UWO.

MolsonExport · #**122** Posted **Oct 6, 2011, 4:13 PM**

Here is the article:

http://communications.uwo.ca/western..._downtown.html

New day dawning downtown?By Heather Travis, Western News
October 06, 2011

The University of Western Ontario has been given the green light to start preparing a comprehensive business plan for the use of City Hall and other areas of the Civic Campus, following a motion approved Tuesday night during a special meeting of the London city council.

Council has agreed to enter into discussions with Western regarding the university’s interests in downtown. Western must submit a business plan by March 2012, which would include details as to the potential use of the Civic Campus – City Hall, Centennial Hall and the associated parking facility.

Chakma Fontana

There is currently a long-term lease agreement on Centennial House. So, while it will be part of the discussion, the timeframe for when it would be available would be different.

But before Western can move downtown, City Hall must be relocated.

The city is also asking for details on what investment requirements Western is expecting in the current facilities, as well as information about funding partners including other levels of government. The city wants Western to outline the benefits to the community as a result of this endeavor, an implementation strategy and timeline for completion.

“I am very pleased to hear that the mayor and council have confirmed their interest in bringing Western to City Hall,” says Western president Amit Chakma. “We look forward to discussing how Western will be able to play a considerable role in creating a more vibrant and prosperous London through an expanded presence in downtown. This is a tremendous opportunity to partner with the City of London to fulfill the future potential for this important location.”

This puts in motion a plan to create a presence for Western in the downtown.

“The concept is Western should have a presence in this city,” Chakma says, noting the only way the university is entertaining the idea is if a building donation is on the table.

“If the proposition from the city is we have to buy that building for $30 million or $40 million, the conversation ends immediately,” Chakma says. “Not because I don’t think it is worth investing that sort of money. No, the business plan simply does not work. How do I know? I’ve done these sorts of things many times before.

“We need to have the land and the building free of charge. We need some support for renovation, then actually the business plan works.”

None of this is off the table as far as London Mayor Joe Fontana is concerned.

[...] read more here: http://communications.uwo.ca/western..._downtown.html

londoner_abroad · #**123** Posted **Oct 8, 2011, 9:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simpseatles

^I wish there was a more detailed render than that, but it looks decent.

I hope it is integrated to the campus, pedestrian walk, road...etc in a good way.

Good day everyone! I've been a long time reader of this blog and used to write as much as I could until my I started my job and it kinda sort of didn't really allow me to contribute. But now I am off half way across the world in Newcastle, UK of all places and more then ever I look forward to reading what is going on back home! Especially pictures of projects that are on going and of special interest to me... like the Shoppers DM downtown and the 3 storey mixed use going up at Wortley and Bruce, If anyone has any updates please post them!

Anyway, Simpseatles you wanted to see more details on the UWO residence check out this link to find a whole presentation regarding this new building with plenty more details:

http://london.ca/Planning_and_Develo...2011_09_21.pdf

And for those who may not know... London has an Urban Design Peer Review Panel (UDPRP) a group made up of 6 professionals in the field (1 Urban Designer, 3 architects, 1 landscape architect and 1 LEEDs accredited professional) who volunteer their time to look at key projects that would affect the public realm.. all buildings in the downtown, most buildings along main roads, main entryways into the city. They do a peer review of the developers projects and offer advice to the developer in the form of a memo which is usually attached to the planning report that goes to Built and Natural Environment committee (formerly Planning Committee), in order for this process to be transparent the Urban Design Briefs for each project are available online sometime around the 2nd week of the month for that months meeting and the comments usually come out the following month. If you are interested in checking out the briefs submitted by developers check out :

http://london.ca/d.aspxs=/Planning_a...MinuteRecs.htm

Its great to finally be back on here!
Cheers

Kokkei Mizu · #**124** Posted **Oct 9, 2011, 2:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by londoner_abroad

more then ever I look forward to reading what is going on back home! Especially pictures of projects that are on going and of special interest to me... like the Shoppers DM downtown and the 3 storey mixed use going up at Wortley and Bruce, If anyone has any updates please post them!

I plan to do one of my updates in the next week! I try to do one about every month. You can see them all in this thread.

Simpseatles · #**125** Posted **Oct 10, 2011, 5:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by londoner_abroad

Anyway, Simpseatles you wanted to see more details on the UWO residence check out this link to find a whole presentation regarding this new building with plenty more details:

http://london.ca/Planning_and_Develo...2011_09_21.pdf

Its great to finally be back on here!
Cheers

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for posting the info about the new UWO residence. That definitely gave me a better idea of what to expect. Overall, I think it looks pretty solid. I like that the parking is at the back, the little green spaces in between blocks, as well as the general design. I only wish it could be a little more integrated with Sarnia Road, with shops and such.

MolsonExport · #**126** Posted **Oct 10, 2011, 8:59 PM**

thanks for the detailed rez plans. a large one.

manny_santos · #**127** Posted **Oct 16, 2011, 11:49 PM**

Well, I'm now living in Toronto (at least temporarily), and I had a little bet with one of my new friends there how long it would be before I ran into a Western grad who had left London and was now in Toronto. I arrived on Friday night. I saw not one today, but two.

Not surprisingly, both Kings College and Brescia College are advertised inside virtually every TTC vehicle. Beats Centretown Pawnbrokers.

MolsonExport · #**128** Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 12:28 PM**

You mean the reach of CTPB does not extend yet into the GTA?
Ol' Ken and his two sons have got to up the ante.

Blitz · #**129** Posted **Oct 17, 2011, 11:16 PM**

I've taught at UWO and to be fair a lot of the students who study there are originally from the GTA anyway. (I handed out a survey the first day of class and one of the questions asked them to list their hometown).

Wharn · #**130** Posted **Oct 18, 2011, 9:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blitz

I've taught at UWO and to be fair a lot of the students who study there are originally from the GTA anyway.

London's politicians are always very concerned about the high number of students who leave the city after graduation. But if you personally know any GTA students, you will also know that they are almost universally united in their disdain for this place. To them, London is just some comical, hickish provincial backwater which is hardly worth their time. My Toronto-area friends all think I'm downright weird for wanting to stay here after graduation.

manny_santos · #**131** Posted **Oct 19, 2011, 2:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wharn

London's politicians are always very concerned about the high number of students who leave the city after graduation. But if you personally know any GTA students, you will also know that they are almost universally united in their disdain for this place. To them, London is just some comical, hickish provincial backwater which is hardly worth their time. My Toronto-area friends all think I'm downright weird for wanting to stay here after graduation.

That's exactly what I was hearing from the GTA students I knew when I was at Western. I can't think of a single one that even wanted to work in London when they graduated. The same goes for international students who stay in Canada after graduating; most of the ones I've known have moved to other provinces.

Most of the people who are interested in working in London are either from London or from elsewhere in Southwestern Ontario.

MolsonExport · #**132** Posted **Oct 19, 2011, 1:43 PM**

^of course younger students won't be persuaded by the whole "great place to raise a family" and "affordable housing" etc. arguments. I certainly was not when I got my undergrad back in 1994...moved to expensive Vancouver from Montreal (Van was Lotus-land back during the recession of the nineties, with amazing natural attributes [I love the outdoors], and an added bonus of many hot asian women).

Perspectives change when your life changes. While I greatly miss the big city life, I would not want to move my family to some overpriced cookie-cutter rowhouse in the Missingsausage or Mark's-Ham just to take 1 hour go-trains to/from work every day.

On the other hand, there is not exactly a surplus of white-collar, head office jobs here in the unForest city.

bolognium · #**133** Posted **Oct 19, 2011, 6:23 PM**

I personally think London needs to focus on keeping the young people we already have as well as drawing from nearby towns/cities. I know people that've moved here from places like Sarnia and St.T and absolutely love it here. Whereas my friends that have grown up here have already bailed to larger cities. Everyone wants an upgrade, and to the average early 20s person from a 1 million+ centre London wouldn't seem very special.

The only people who end up sticking around are downright weird like Wharn (I read your name as Wham).

MolsonExport · #**134** Posted **Oct 19, 2011, 7:58 PM**

It is solely due to the charm of Wharncliffe Road

Wharn · #**135** Posted **Oct 20, 2011, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

It is solely due to the charm of Wharncliffe Road

Even though it shares my name and provided my profile picture, I still think Wharncliffe Road is a miserable piece of shit. Run down, poorly planned, irritating to drive and just downright ugly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bolognium

The only people who end up sticking around are downright weird like Wharn

What can I say, I'm unique

Quote:

Originally Posted by bolognium

(I read your name as Wham)

CANNOT UNSEE

manny_santos · #**136** Posted **Oct 22, 2011, 11:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wharn

Even though it shares my name and provided my profile picture, I still think Wharncliffe Road is a miserable piece of shit. Run down, poorly planned, irritating to drive and just downright ugly.

Depends what part of Wharncliffe we're talking about. I like the more pedestrian-oriented nature of the road north of Base Line Road.

Simpseatles · #**137** Posted **Oct 22, 2011, 11:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Depends what part of Wharncliffe we're talking about. I like the more pedestrian-oriented nature of the road north of Base Line Road.

Ehh, even north of Baseline it's mostly just fast food restaurants and plazas, with some houses facing the street. One of the things I dislike about London is that we don't have a solid, dense, commercial street outside the downtown core, like east Wyandotte in Windsor, or Eglinton in Toronto. Richmond row ends very abruptly at Oxford, Oxford is just converted old houses, and Dundas really only has a short segment in Old East. Hamilton road is a contender, but there are too many houses facing the road in some spots.

Either way, I think Wharn chose his username as an ode to "London's Golden Auto Mile!"

Oh, I thought this was the London Road's thread, sorry for that.

Wharn · #**138** Posted **Oct 29, 2011, 3:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Depends what part of Wharncliffe we're talking about. I like the more pedestrian-oriented nature of the road north of Base Line Road.

I actually don't think there is a part of Wharncliffe Road that I like at all. North of Baseline is really just a testament to what made the 1950s so terrible, I swear to God that Arcade Fire got some of their inspiration by driving along Wharncliffe south of Baseline. Maybe Wharncliffe and Oxford is OK because there's a pretty good Korean restaurant there (lots of international students seem to hang around that place), but other than that, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

But yeah, back on topic...

MolsonExport · #**139** Posted **Oct 30, 2011, 1:40 AM**

^second that perspective, including the Korean restaurant.

MolsonExport · #**140** Posted **Nov 9, 2011, 1:51 PM**

Phase I of Ivey Business School open for Business.

Quote:

'Facilities matter’
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO: Ivey School of Business

With its wood-beamed ceilings and cozy fireplace in the Grand Hall, this might be mistaken for a stylish luxury hotel.

But when you're competing against the top business schools in the world, appearance counts.

The new $110-million Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario strutted its stuff Monday as a showpiece designed to draw, and keep, the best and brightest business students from around the world.

"Facilities matter. We know that from experience. When it comes to business, it matters even more because we competing with the very best," said Western President Amit Chakma.

More here: http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2...-18935301.html

BY THE NUMBERS

Ivey School of Business

Federal: $25 million

Provincial: $25 million

Western: $22.5 million

Private sector: $37.5 million

Total: $110 million.

Square metres: 25,000

Current building: 14,000 sq. m

15 78-seat classrooms

5 50-seat classrooms

70 breakout rooms

Quote:

Scott Howard [Comment]
November 7th 2011, 3:04pm
Meanwhile, my children's public school has seven portables.