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Western May Build in Downtown London

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Downtown plans gain traction

http://communications.uwo.ca/western_news/stories/2012/March/downtown_plans_gain_traction_.html

By Adela Talbot
March 01, 2012


While the idea remains in a relatively distant realm of possibility, the prospect of a downtown campus is generating excitement at Western University.

“It would be a tremendous bonus for Western. All of us here see it as a great opportunity,†said Janice Deakin, Western’s provost and vice-president (academic). “It’s allowed us to think about things in ways we haven’t been able to before. Conceptually, we see the opportunity as a gateway for Western to London, and outwards to the world, and also a gateway for the City of London to be more closely articulated with Western.â€

Last year, Mayor Joe Fontana expressed an interest in partnering with the university in plans to revitalize the city’s core, a proposal that included building a new city hall and moving Western into its current building – as well as the buildings in the adjacent Centennial Plaza – at the corner of Dufferin Avenue and Wellington Street.

Deakin said Western was then asked to come up with a proposal, one university officials present to the city this month.

“Since (late last year), we’ve been in discussions with the deans and other members of our community – student services, administration, operations and so on – to see what we’d be interested in doing,†Deakin explained.

Out of these discussions, a vision of a downtown campus has started to take shape.

“The Faculty of Education, along with its associated research and education centres, is interested in moving there. That’s been said before,†said Ruban Chelladurai, Western’s associate vice-president (planning and budgeting).

Deakin added Western’s vision, as it stands, involves an educational focus in the downtown core. Having the Faculty of Education downtown could tie to opportunities with Continuing Studies.

“Also, having the Faculty of Education downtown will form bridges for possible links with local school boards, for provision of English language services in the high schools and even the possibility of an international school,†she said.

But that’s not all. Western would also be working with the community in its downtown location, Deakin added.

“One idea that we’re working on is a collaborative idea between Schulich (School of Medicine & Dentistry), the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Education. The three of them are talking about the notion of creating a multidisciplinary health clinic,†she said. “The idea is that it would engage faculty, staff, graduate students and postdocs from the academic disciplines that encompass those faculties to provide services to underserviced communities and diverse populations.â€

Deakin and Chelladurai both said the next step is to present these ideas to the Board of Governors in mid-March, after which they will take the proposed plans to the city for approval.

“The city has a vision for creating life in that square. They want to be convinced that whatever Western was doing downtown served the needs of the community, and I think that’s fair,†Deakin said.

But everything is contingent on the city’s plans, Chelladurai noted, adding Western’s proposal is just a conceptual vision. In terms of a time frame, the best-case scenario would play out in roughly four years’ time, he added.

In addition to the city building and moving to a new city hall, a few things have to happen for Western to move to the core, Deakin added.

“On our end we would need decanted space and space that was appropriate for our use. Our understanding is that the building would be ready for us, cleared of asbestos, clean and ready for us to move in into an open concept (space),†she said.

Were things to go as planned, Western would gain a lot from the move.

“For us to be located in what is really a less intimidating place than coming up Richmond Street, it gives people a different view of the front door of Western and I’d very much hope, a very accessible view of Western. It would allow the community to know us in a better and different way. More knowledge and more understanding always lead to better relationships,†Deakin said.

“It also gives us space for things to expand. In moving some things to a downtown site means that we can decant some activities from this campus and rethink and repurpose that space.â€

While the city has been supportive and could soon approve Western’s proposal, Deakin added council has to evaluate it plans for London before moving ahead.

“We just have to try and contain our enthusiasm until we see what the path is going to be.â€
 

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