08-24-2015, 12:02 PM
I think that you are confusing a recent joint agreement between WRDSB, WLU and the City of Waterloo with a transfer of ownership. On July 13, 2015, the three parties agreed to conduct a jointly-funded feasibility study to do the following:
1. support the required current and future-use needs of both Wilfrid Laurier University and Waterloo District Regional School Board and the Northdale
community through conceptualizing an innovative and community accessible multi-use, secondary and post-secondary educational development;
2. align future redevelopment on the Laurier and WRDSB lands with the vision and principles outlined in the Northdale Plan, including the provision of community
accessible parkland, amenities and facilities; and,
3. address and improve the current limitations and challenges associated with storm water drainage in the defined area.
Demographics have changed, and resource management practices have changed since the school closures and amalgamations of the 1990s-2000s. The WRDSB has no where else to host the 1500-2000 high school students that currently attend WCI, either in the existing schools or on a nearby piece of property. While the WRDSB, WLU and the City recently agreed to study the issue, nothing further has occurred. What I could foresee would be a redevelopment of the WCI campus east of Hazel Street to update the building (likely accessibility to start, and better climate control) and some of the athletic facilities. The property west of Hazel Street could, for instance become a joint parking facility that would continue to to meet both WLU and WCI's parking needs. Say, WLU below ground parking on the WRDSB property with WCI surface parking, while WLU redevelops the Northdale property to something denser.
Of course, one thing that could throw the whole thing up in the air would be if the province decided to amalgamate the Public and Catholic boards, which would then bring St. David's SS, just north of Columbia, into the mix. But that's speculation for another day.
1. support the required current and future-use needs of both Wilfrid Laurier University and Waterloo District Regional School Board and the Northdale
community through conceptualizing an innovative and community accessible multi-use, secondary and post-secondary educational development;
2. align future redevelopment on the Laurier and WRDSB lands with the vision and principles outlined in the Northdale Plan, including the provision of community
accessible parkland, amenities and facilities; and,
3. address and improve the current limitations and challenges associated with storm water drainage in the defined area.
Demographics have changed, and resource management practices have changed since the school closures and amalgamations of the 1990s-2000s. The WRDSB has no where else to host the 1500-2000 high school students that currently attend WCI, either in the existing schools or on a nearby piece of property. While the WRDSB, WLU and the City recently agreed to study the issue, nothing further has occurred. What I could foresee would be a redevelopment of the WCI campus east of Hazel Street to update the building (likely accessibility to start, and better climate control) and some of the athletic facilities. The property west of Hazel Street could, for instance become a joint parking facility that would continue to to meet both WLU and WCI's parking needs. Say, WLU below ground parking on the WRDSB property with WCI surface parking, while WLU redevelops the Northdale property to something denser.
Of course, one thing that could throw the whole thing up in the air would be if the province decided to amalgamate the Public and Catholic boards, which would then bring St. David's SS, just north of Columbia, into the mix. But that's speculation for another day.
