1.2K 
The groundbreaking ceremony for Ryerson University's new Student Learning Centre (SLC) at Yonge and Gould Streets took place a few days ago, and included members of the Ryerson community and government officials. The SLC will be built on the site of the iconic Sam the Record Man store, which has been demolished to make way for this latest transformation of Ryerson and the Downtown Yonge corridor.
Designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects and Snohetta, the glass-encased Ryerson SLC is a $112 million project involving $45 millon in funding from Infrastructure Ontario. With the groundbreaking ceremony complete, EllisDon can begin construction this week. The SLC is expected to be finished in 2014.
Ryerson is commited to integrating the university's campus with the surrounding neighbourhood, where students and the public can use the school's spaces. An example is the recent pedestrianization of Gould Street and the inclusion of mixed-use, street-level retail in the SLC to blend in with Yonge Street.
Ryerson community and government officials at the groundbreaking ceremony:
In just over a decade, Ryerson has transformed itself from a polytechnic institute into a fully-accredited university with 28,000 students and an ambitious plan for the future. The school's most recent projects include the Peter Gilgan Athletics Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Ryerson Image Centre, and the Ryerson Residence at 186-188 Jarvis Street.
This is rendering of how the Ryerson SLC will look when completed:
What do you think of the Ryerson Student Learning Centre? Join our Forum discussion here.
