Update on UTM North Building redevelopment plans

A funding proposal for the second phase of the North Building redevelopment project has been submitted to the provincial government for consideration, with a funding decision anticipated sometime this spring.

The first phase of the project, Deerfield Hall, opened in September 2014, replacing part of the 47-year-old North Building. Funding approval for next phase, dubbed North2, would allow demolition and redevelopment of the adjacent building, and bring updated and much-needed classroom and office space to the north end of campus.

Originally intended for temporary use, the North Building opened in 1967 as a short-tem space for academic offices and classrooms. The campus grew so quickly that there was no opportunity to take the building out of service. “The North Building, while it was built to be temporary, became a permanent fixture,” says chief administrative officer Paul Donoghue. “We simply needed the space.”

UTM has seen 50 per cent growth in enrolment over the past decade and will require more space to accommodate enrolment growth in the coming years. Enrolment is projected to climb from 14,000 students in 2014 to 20,000 students by 2035.

To accommodate that growth, UTM hopes to demolish and redevelop the North2 building next, as part of the second phase of a redevelopment plan for the site.

In September, the university submitted the North2 project to the Provincial Government as a response to the “Ontario Major Capacity Expansion Program” directed toward the post-secondary sector. That proposal and request for capital funds  is currently being considered by the province. “We don’t know what the timeline is, but we remain cautiously optimistic that we will hear something in the next few months,” Donoghue says. Once funding is solidified, the project could move to the request for proposal process to design and build.

The current North Building, which houses about 100 offices and 800 classroom seats, has accrued about $1-million in deferred maintenance costs, however the deteriorating condition of the structure doesn’t warrant further investment.

The proposed new 220,000-square-foot building would add 120,000 square feet of new space to house six academic departments and 31 smaller-sized classrooms geared to tutorial and small-group activities. The proposal also included collaborative research spaces, technology support and new space for the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. The building would add 9,000 square feet of student study space and a large multi-purpose gathering space.

The North2 project aligns with the university’s long-term Master Plan to anchor new development at the north end of the campus, Donoghue says.

In keeping with UTM’s focus on environmental sustainability, the new North2 building will be built to LEED Silver certification. “We had the first LEED certified building at the University of Toronto, and one of the first in Mississauga,” Donoghue says, referring to the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. “We have been in the forefront of environmental sustainability since the early 2000s with the ‘Grow Smart, Grow Green’ initiative.” UTM has been an early adopter of green technology project such as micro-turbines and solid-oxide fuel cells. The heating and cooling needs of the recently completed Instructional Centre are provided by a geothermal heat pump system. The campus uses photo-voltaic cells in the ICC and Davis buildings, offers discounted parking fees for hybrid cars, and is part of the Smart Commute program.