The intersection of St. George and Bloor recently received a new occupant rivalling the various landmarks which surround the neighbourhood.
Woodsworth College’s new residence has just finished preliminary construction and is set to officially open its doors in April for summer residency.
This marks the college’s first official residence which has opted for a “condominium” style. Condos are divided into two categories of four to six rooms depending on the floor with each having two bathrooms, a kitchen and living room.
One major difference to regular condominium living is that the laundry facilities will be located on the ground floor and will only be accessible by T-Card. The residence will also have a fully equipped athletic centre and common rooms on certain floors.
Residences likes this have become commonplace in the US where many schools like the University of Illinois aim to attract more students with the prospects of privacy and comfort away from home. To top it all off, each room in the condos will also be outfitted with a lock and key to provide an even greater sense of solitude for students.
Even with all the excitement that has come with the innovative new building, the university had to face a tough hurdle put forth by Sonja Bata, owner of the Bata Shoe Museum.
Representatives of the museum felt that the height of the new residence would overshadow their building and lead to a decline in visitors. Ultimately, Sonja Bata decided to press the issue to the Ontario Municipal Board which delayed construction of Woodsworth’s planned residence.
Due to the complaints lodged by Bata, Dean of Students John Conrad said that they had to “move it (residence) further away from Bloor and St. George and caused a six to seven week delay.” On top of these changes, officials had to set aside plans to make the building taller and settle for eleven stories. Even so, Conrad feels the incident is isolated and states that the local “rent payers association was quite happy with the design.”
Woodsworth College’s latest addition to the St. George campus has helped fuel speculation that the university hopes to use this residence as a model for future student housing. However, Conrad is adamant in stating that this is not the case. He feels that each college must build a residence to “suit the needs of their students.” He cites the new residence being built at University College as an example of this belief.
Although the UC residence design seems quite similar to that of Woodsworths’, University College decided to retain a dormitory-style living for their new housing with shared bathrooms and common areas. This decision was made due to overwhelming support by the student body of the college.
Both residences demonstrate the diversity at the university which has helped spawn unique buildings giving the campus a new skyline for the 21st century.
