Dalhousie votes to build its future
Project to cost as much as $600 million
By JOHN McPHEE
Staff Reporter
Dalhousie University’s board of governors has given the thumbs-up to a long-term plan that could transform its campuses.
The vision for the future of Dalhousie includes the construction of mixed-use highrises, the creation of study “hubs" at the university’s central and downtown campuses, and a more environmentally friendly transportation plan.
The estimated cost of the work would be about $600 million. But that amount would be spent over at least 10 years and only if all of the recommended projects were approved.
Referring to media coverage of the plan last week, “the implication was that we’re farther down the development path than we are," university president Tom Traves told the board of governors meeting Mon day.
“This plan creates a vision for how the campus will unfold. It offers a variety of ideas on where the campus could unfold, in terms of particular buildings. But any building is a unique project and any pro ject would have to be approved by the board. . . . What we’re doing here is ap proving a sense of possibilities."
The university has held public consulta tions and focus groups on how the cam puses could be expanded over the past two years. The report, which cost $600,000, was written by the Halifax companies WHW Architects and the IBI Group, which specializes in urban devel opment and planning. The companies produced a 46-page Campus Master Framework Plan, as well as background documents and advice on such things as strategic planning.
Larry Sherman, director of the IBI Group, presented details of the plan to the board Monday, after which it was unani mously approved.
The report suggests about a dozen cap ital projects, including tearing down some buildings, renovating others and building two 17- to 20-storey towers on University Avenue. It also suggests a redesign of the avenue to limit traffic to one side, while opening up the rest of the street for cy clists and pedestrians.
While the university has a lot of unde veloped property, some areas present some challenges, Sherman said. For exam ple, the health sciences Carleton campus at South and Robie streets doesn’t have a lot of room to grow. A local resident sug gested the idea of two tall towers on Uni versity Avenue, Sherman said.
The planners are recommending the towers be placed in front of the Tupper building, where it would least affect the surrounding residential area.
The university has two other campuses — Studley, which is bounded by Coburg Road, Oxford, South and Robie streets; and Sexton, in downtown Halifax.
“You do not need to acquire a lot of land, as some universities do," Sherman said. “What you need to do is build more intensively."
The plan also calls for the creation of study hubs at Carleton, Studley and Sex ton.
The trend toward informal study groups and using technology for learning spurred this concept. The hubs would provide informal spaces for students to work, eat and relax.
“We asked them, how do you study? At the library, before the computers in the labs?" Sherman said. “Not so much. We study together. We ask each other ques tions and interpret things in different ways. "
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