McMaster University

[SteelTown]

http://farncombe.mcmaster.ca/

[crhayes]

I worked for Belluz and did the Linoleum in here during the summer haha. I go to Mac though....it's the shiiieeet! The Thode reno is moving a long, its going to be nice.

I hope in the future they plan on utilizing the space across Cootes for more buildings (and using underground parking). Why exactly are they building a satellite campus in Burlington?

[flar]

Originally Posted by crhayes

I hope in the future they plan on utilizing the space across Cootes for more buildings (and using underground parking). Why exactly are they building a satellite campus in Burlington?

I'm not sure if they Burlington campus is going ahead or not. There was a bit of a fiasco surrounding that at the upper levels.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by crhayes

I hope in the future they plan on utilizing the space across Cootes for more buildings

I don't think they own much of the land across Cootes. Also, alot of it is protected wetland, turtle nesting grounds, etc.

[SteelTown]

The do own the land with all the parking. Under the plans they call it "West Campus" though building a new campus on that side probably won't happen until another 10 to 15 years. Think they want to foucs on Engineering on that side, machinery and large equipments.

[highwater]

That's not a very big parcel, and it's immediately adjacent to environmentally sensitive areas. Have environmental assessments been done?

[SteelTown]

Parking zone 7 and 6 I believe will be replaced with buildings and the baseball diamonds to disappear. So really the environment won't be damaged since it's already at use.

[crhayes]

Originally Posted by highwater

That's not a very big parcel, and it's immediately adjacent to environmentally sensitive areas. Have environmental assessments been done?

If you look at the campus on google maps, I'd say that that area across cootes is about 25% of the total campus landmass.

And yes, wherever it is paved would be excellent to extend the campus (and have underground parking or something equivalent). The campus would be huuuuge...those parking lots are massive.

I wish I could go to Mac my whole life and just watch it evolve daily lmao....professional student possibly?

[SteelTown]

Mac students housed in hotels

October 23, 2008
Rachel De Lazzer
The Hamilton Spectator

As displaced McMaster students move from fire-damaged Brandon Hall into downtown hotels, the city is reviving its hope of a permanent university residence in its core.

McMaster is sending most of the displaced students to three hotels -- Sheraton, Staybridge and Crowne Plaza -- downtown.

But downtown Councillor Bob Bratina says he and the city's downtown and community renewal team held an emergency meeting Monday with an eye to getting students out of the hotels and into other downtown accommodations where they'd be welcome to stay for good.

Bratina says they have two and perhaps three downtown buildings that could house a few hundred students as early as a few weeks.

"There is one in particular that's under construction and about 90 per cent built, for instance, so (the owners) would have to change ... all of a sudden instead of being one type of a building it's going to be another type of a building," said Bratina.

"We feel that we can rearrange things and in very short order ... for the students."

Calling McMaster one of the great "missing links" of the downtown, he says it could be a perfect opportunity for the university to see that a downtown residence is workable and acceptable to students.

Bratina says it might be late this week or early next week before specifics are nailed down enough to discuss the possibilities with McMaster officials.

Gillian Wasser, however, wouldn't want to move again. When asked about the possible long-term solution, the Brandon Hall resident says moving is too much of a hassle to have to do it so soon.

She's staying at the Staybridge on Market Street and is keen about the kitchenette she'll have there.

But Wasser, 18, said she was looking forward to discovering downtown while she's here.

"Hess is here ... I haven't been downtown at all."

Nearly 600 students who were living at the McMaster University residence were displaced by a deliberately set fire early Saturday.

Some students can likely return in January, while others may have to wait until the end of the school year in April.

Bratina says the city is also working with downtown restaurants and bars to see if they can offer students discounts with their students cards to further welcome them to the core.

The city has been trying for years to get a university residence downtown.

McMaster's director of public and government relations Andrea Farquhar said the university is open to ideas anyone may have.

The university has entertained several bids for a downtown residence in the last six years, but Farquhar says students traditionally don't seem interested in living downtown.

She says her sense is they don't want to pay more for downtown accommodation and want to be as close as possible to campus.

Hamilton Chamber of Commerce president Tyler MacLeod and downtown renewal director at the city Ron Marini say having students downtown bodes well for keeping them there later as employees.

While both say the situation is unfortunate and wish it never happened, they agree downtown is better for their presence.

"I think allowing people perhaps to see an area they might not be as familiar with and interact a little more with downtown, I think they would see what Hamilton has to offer," said MacLeod.

"We would love to keep a lot of our grads in town in Hamilton so we're big promoters of that and if this helps, that's a very positive thing."

[raisethehammer]

haha...nice spin by Farquhar. There have been a few private developers propose fabulous Mac residences downtown in the past decade. The University has shot them down everytime. NOT the students. NOT developers. NOT the city. It's always been the self-serving university that wants the money from on-campus residents.
Hopefully something good like this can happen out of this tragedy.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

haha...nice spin by Farquhar. There have been a few private developers propose fabulous Mac residences downtown in the past decade. The University has shot them down everytime. NOT the students. NOT developers. NOT the city. It's always been the self-serving university that wants the money from on-campus residents.
Hopefully something good like this can happen out of this tragedy.

and your point is? The university has the right to do what it wants. They benefit the community in plenty of ways. Closer students means less crowded buses, less commuting.

I guess we could stick them in the ghetto connaught.

[raisethehammer]

off-campus student housing has been a real problem. they're crazy to turn down a proposal to build new residence buildings.
We know how concerned the university is about crowded buses. lol.

[SteelTown]

Bratina is talking about changing Terrance on King as a student residence.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Bratina is talking about changing Terrance on King as a student residence.

Definitely a good idea.

[crhayes]

Originally Posted by matt602

Definitely a good idea.

Yeah that is what I initially thought too....it would be sick. The way I see it: they create some residences downtown that are CHEAPER to stay in than the residences on campus. It is true that any student would rather be ON campus. So make some rez's downtown and charge the students less money to stay there; I bet there would be tons of kids interested.

In fact if more students were placed of campus like that, couldn't the city use it to their advantage when bargaining for LRT?

[SteelTown]

Downtown business owners would only need to buy a card swipe and Mac students could use their meal cards.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Bratina is talking about changing Terrance on King as a student residence.

It is a good idea.

I was also thinking of those condos on King William (Trinity Landing??). Aren't they the ones that stalled?

[adam]

Too bad McHattie doesn't give a flying @^*% about the downtown.

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by adam

Too bad McHattie doesn't give a flying @^*% about the downtown.

are you drunk right now??? You just made a crazy post in another thread comparing old York St to Upper James and now you're bashing our most consistently pro-downtown councillor. What's up??

[highwater]

What on earth are you talking about? I don't have enough time to list all the ways McHattie has supported the downtown. He lives in Strathcona. The Lister would not be standing today if it weren't for him. He's for two-way, LRT, preserving city hall and maintaining its heritage features, I could go on all night. He actively supports pretty much every pro-downtown measure that has come up since he was elected to office. Only Bratina is more pro-downtown than McHattie, and he should be, it's his job.