The grand opening of Laurentian University's new School of Architecture in Sudbury's downtown is slated for Sept. 4.
Seventy students are registered in the charter class as construction crews continue renovations at the former farmer's market building and adjacent CP telegraph building.
Six years in the
making, the school received $21 million in funding from the
provincial government and $10 million from the city.
“It's
going to be great to be with everyone who was there from the
inception, sitting around the table, talking about the idea of the
architecture school coming to town, and now finally having it be the
opening,” Terrance Galvin, the school's founding director, told
Northern Life newspaper,
With interior work complete, Galvin said work on both buildings will be done in time for the start of classes.
Faculty will be housed in the telegraph building and students will occupy the former market building located next to the CP tracks at Elm and Elgin Streets.
A new $20-million building will be constructed on the property in 2015.
The renovations and construction are expected to cost $20 million.
With program enrolment expect to grow out to 400 students, Galvin expects the school will have a big impact on the downtown's economy.
“When you inject
70 or 100 people into any place, all of their daily life takes them
out into businesses and cafés and restaurants and bars and shopping,
and all of those things that you need to support the life of the
students.”
Students will also be working with community groups
throughout the northeast on architecture projects, he said.
“Will
Sudbury transform overnight like in Cinderella, no,” he said. “Will
it have an effect? Yes, of course.”
