The University of Toronto's Mississauga campus is getting a $70-million, 13,000 square metre (140,000 square feet) classroom block. Work is well underway for the project, which broke ground in October, and will ultimately house 27 new teaching spaces, from a 500-seat lecture theatre to 30-seat seminar rooms.
"We're just busting at the seams," says
UTM's chief administrative officer Paul Donoghue, using a phrase common among staff at the rapidly expanding university. Donoghue says that 10 years ago, when the university established its master plan, UTM had about 5,000 students.
"We're now at 11,500," he says, growth he ascribes to the changing demography of Ontario and the GTA.
The Instructional Centre is being built on what was a 300-space parking lot, a space designated for development in the master plan. Once completed, UTM will be adding some accessible parking spots near the building.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Paul Donoghue