Four Corners

In a deal that immediately adds as many as 890 beds to the university’s student housing stock, the University of Toronto has purchased a 20 per cent stake in the privately owned CampusOne residence located adjacent to the St. George campus.

U of T acquired the equity share from Knightstone Capital Management for $55 million.

While CampusOne was already affiliated with U of T, the ownership stake means the university can now place students directly in the 25-storey building on College Street (students previously needed to apply to CampusOne). U of T will also be able to influence residence programming and support services so they further align with those of the university’s existing residences, as well as its policies and procedures.

Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships, said the deal potentially increases the number of beds in its portfolio by nine per cent, helping it to meet the rapidly rising demand for student housing.

“Not only will this acquisition allow U of T to better meet its first-year residence guarantee for fall 2024 in a residence directly adjacent to campus, it does so without the long lead time required to build a new residence – and without the costs and resources that entails,” Mabury said.

“For our students, staying in a residence operated by U of T and programmed by our Student Life people is important and desirable. This is a win for students, and therefore a win for the university.”

Mabury estimated the deal saves U of T at least $200 million compared to constructing a similar-sized residence from scratch.

“We paid 20 per cent to have [priority] access to the whole thing – all 890 beds. If we were building them ourselves, we would be spending at least a quarter of a billion dollars,” Mabury said. “I can’t overstate how good an outcome this is.”

The acquisition is one of several steps taken by U of T to address the growing demand for student housing on its three campuses.

Less than a kilometre away from CampusOne, at the corner of Spadina and Sussex Avenues, is Oak House, a new 23-storey residence that will house 508 students and is scheduled to open in fall 2024.

U of T Scarborough, meanwhile, opened Harmony Commons last year – a 746-bed residence dedicated to first-year undergraduate students that meets Passive House standards for energy efficiency. And U of T Mississauga is moving to build a new student housing complex on Residence Road, near its Oscar Peterson Hall and Schreiberwood residences.

Owen McCartney, director of asset management for U of T’s real estate team, said that the development period for a student residence is typically at least five years, whereas the CampusOne deal will have an immediate impact.

“These rooms can all now count toward the first-year residence guarantee, whereas previously they did not,” McCartney said.

Located at the corner of College and Huron Streets, CampusOne was constructed on land partially owned by U of T that was leased to Knightstone Capital Management. It offers accommodations ranging from studio apartments to single rooms in multi-bedroom suites. Amenities include a fitness centre, game lounges, movie theatre, arts studio and quiet study rooms.

U of T Food Services operates all-day dining programs in the building.

Negotiations for the acquisition began in spring 2023 and the transaction officially closed in mid-December. However, U of T was given the green light by CampusOne’s owners to begin placing students in the residence last summer before the deal was complete.

In addition to receiving 20 per cent of the building’s operating income, the deal will also see U of T earn a small fee for each student it places in CampusOne.

Mabury said the agreement is the latest example of U of T’s 4 Corners Strategy, which aims to advance the university’s academic and research missions by providing high-quality innovation space, student and faculty housing, and other key services – all while generating new revenue streams through ancillary retail and other leasing agreements.

“This deal is the result of years of work – including building the Real Estate and Partnerships team and bringing real estate expertise to the table – that are now generating new opportunities for the university.”

U of T explores university housing development at Bloor and Spadina

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 21:49:32 +0000

U of T explores university housing development at Bloor and Spadina

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 03/16/2022 - 17:49

Cutline

The proposed development of “Site 1,” visible at the southeast corner of Bloor Street and Spadina Avenue, would provide academic space and housing for U of T students, faculty and staff, as well as their families (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

City & Culture

University Family Housing

Four Corners

Scott Mabury

Cities

Faculty of Arts & Science

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

School of Continuing Studies

St. George

The University of Toronto is in the early stages of exploring how the northwest corner of the St. George campus can be revitalized to provide much-needed and attainable university housing, including academic and amenity space – all while supplying carbon-friendly energy and advancing Indigenous place-making.

The proposed development of “Site 1” – bounded by Bloor Street West, Spadina Avenue, Huron Street and Washington Avenue – would provide hundreds of apartment-style units for students, faculty and staff, as well as their families. It would also provide academic space for the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and the School of Continuing Studies, and would continue to host the University of Toronto Schools, which is a current occupant of 371 Bloor West.

Envisioned as a major gateway into the northwest quadrant of the St. George campus, the proposed development also aims to better link the university with the surrounding neighbourhood and provide more open spaces for community-geared activities.

Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships, said the Site 1 project exemplifies U of T’s Four Corners Strategy, which seeks to advance the university’s mission to build much-needed university housing and innovation space while also contributing to the university overall and enhancing the vitality of city life.

“This site, located at a prominent downtown intersection, represents a unique opportunity for U of T to help address its growing need for housing, provide renewed academic space and enrich the surrounding neighbourhood,” Mabury said.

He added that the site would also house an energy centre and electrical distribution hub that would make important contributions to U of T’s ambitious goal of achieving a climate-positive St. George campus by 2050.

“This site serves as an ideal location from which to supply the northwest quadrant of the St. George campus with energy derived from high-efficiency, zero-carbon technologies,” he said. “As such, it will play a vital role in helping us meet our greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

The project is currently in its nascent stages and has not yet gone to the university’s Governing Council for consideration. Consultation is underway through a working group – led by the local city councillor and involving neighbourhood associations, student groups and campus stakeholders –as the university seeks early input on how the property can advance the university’s mission while supporting local planning goals and reinforcing the neighbourhood’s character.

Due to the complexity of the project, the university plans to seek the expertise of the development industry to help support its project delivery and aims to select a development partner this summer. Selection of the design team will follow in late 2022 or early 2023 and there will be ongoing consultation throughout the design phase leading to the project’s development application and municipal approval process. It is expected that construction on the project could begin near the end of 2024 and be completed by 2028.

Shannon Simpson, U of T’s director of Indigenous initiatives, said the project will establish an engagement process to help members of the Indigenous community share their thoughts on how design choices, landscaping and common spaces can be harnessed to foster Indigenous acknowledgement and placemaking at the site.

“There was a time when the Indigenous community wouldn’t be brought into conversation early enough – so we would have ideas, but it would be too late to implement a lot of them,” she said. “Now, people at U of T are really embracing bringing us into the conversation early on.”

To that end, Simpson said First Nations House is being engaged to help amplify student voices while consultations are also being planned with Indigenous faculty, staff, Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

She noted the commitment to Indigenous engagement is important given that the Bloor and Spadina area is home to the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, Wigwamen Terrace housing and the Spadina Road branch of the Toronto Public Library – reputed for its strong collection of Indigenous literature.

“It’s a little piece of Indigenous community in Toronto, so it’s a special corner,” Simpson said, adding that the proposed redevelopment stands to benefit both Indigenous Peoples and the broader U of T community.

“Whether if it’s a common room or study space that’s named after one of the Indigenous host territories, or a bench that has elements of Indigeneity, or native plants and medicines in and around the area – those kinds of things are important and meaningful for Indigenous students,” Simpson said. “The Indigenous community will obviously, 100 percent benefit from that, but I think everyone – every student, staff, faculty and community member – will benefit from being a part of these spaces.

“So, I don’t think it’s something that U of T or the City of Toronto are just doing for the Indigenous population. It really is for everyone.”

At present, Site 1 envisions the construction of two taller residential towers that would be integrated with the heritage building at 371 Bloor Street West. With 600 to 700 apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms, the new buildings would help meet the growing demand for attainable university housing – accommodation that enables U of T community members and their families, including those coming from abroad, to live close to campus without having to participate in the competitive Toronto housing market.

While housing arrangements are crucial for students, they are also important for faculty members making the transition to U of T and Toronto.

“The fact that the university is able to provide some new faculty with a place to live as they take up their research and teaching at U of T enables them to embed themselves immediately in the community they are joining,” said Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, which is U of T’s largest faculty.

“Just as with students, faculty members living on campus will have the opportunity to absorb the vibrant energy of the U of T community and reap the benefits of being steps away from their home departments, their peers and colleagues, and the students they can expect to engage with daily.”

At the same time, the creation of new academic space for OISE would ensure that it maintains its longstanding relationship with the University of Toronto Schools, while continuing the more than 115-year history of teacher education programs at 371 Bloor St. West. The space provided to the School of Continuing Studies, meanwhile, would support the university’s commitment to lifelong learning.

The surface parking lot that currently dominates the block would be moved underground, allowing for increased open space. The proposed development envisions a passageway to connect Matt Cohen Park to the Huron Washington Parkette – and then onward into campus via the campus open space network. It also envisions the house forms along Washington Avenue being integrated into the proposed development to maintain the streetscape. On all sides, the development would be designed to transition appropriately to the surrounding area, from the Huron-Sussex and Annex neighbourhoods to the south and west respectively to the more urban character of Bloor Street to the north.

The redevelopment would also create new accessible open spaces for pedestrians and enhance the public realm.

When it comes to supporting U of T’s climate-positive campus plan, Site 1 would play a key role by housing energy facilities discreetly integrated into the fabric of the 371 Bloor Street West building. That includes an underground nodal plant or energy centre, which would provide low-temperature heating water, chilled water and carbon-friendly energy to the immediate facility as well as campus buildings in the Huron Sussex neighbourhood.

The nodal plant will utilize a proposed geo-exchange field located under the facility to store surplus heat generated by building systems in the summer to be used for heating in the winter. The field will improve the efficiency of the heating and cooling systems while decreasing carbon emissions significantly.

Finally, the facility would be home to a central electrical distribution substation – one of five on the St. George campus.

Going forward, Mabury said the Site 1 project planning team looks forward to working with the community and its development partners to re-imagine a key part of the St. George campus for the future.

“From providing more attainable housing and sustainable energy to forging better connections through the neighbourhood and providing welcoming spaces for Indigenous Peoples, this project seeks to advance the many shared goals of the university and the community around it,” Mabury said.

“We want this corner of campus to stand out as a jewel – not just for the university, but for the entire city.”

With a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, U of T looks beyond the pandemic in 2022-23 budget

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 19:02:05 +0000

With a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, U of T looks beyond the pandemic in 2022-23 budget

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 03/04/2022 - 14:02

Cutline

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Diversity and Inclusion

Research & Innovation

As pandemic-related health measures are relaxed across Canada, the University of Toronto envisions a steady return to more normal operations in its 2022-23 budget amid high vaccination rates and strong demand for its programs.

The $3.23-billion balanced budget, an increase of 3.5 per cent over the previous period, makes significant investments in teaching, research and the student experience – all while taking concrete steps to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.

It is scheduled to go before Governing Council for approval on March 31.

“The University of Toronto is pleased to be welcoming members of its community back to campus for more in-person learning, research and other activities – particularly its students,” says Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s vice-president and provost.

“The investments made in this year’s operating budget reflect U of T’s continued dedication to enriching the learning experience and supporting success across all divisions.

“We are committed to providing a world class experience for everyone, regardless of background or financial means.”

Many priorities shared by students – expanding mental health services, enriching the academic experience, expanding experiential learning opportunities, committing to a climate positive campus and investing in student financial support – are reflected in this year’s budget.

Through its University Fund, U of T plans to spend $22 million across five categories: building inclusive cities and societies, reimagining the undergraduate experience, the Defy Gravity campaign, investing in divisional priorities and driving scientific discovery.

As in previous years, U of T is making a significant investment to uphold its commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. U of T plans to spend $2.3 million in the upcoming academic year to hire 30 additional Black and Indigenous faculty, bringing the total number hired through the Diversity in Academic Hiring fund to 160.

“These efforts are critical to achieve U of T’s goal of inclusive excellence, which is all about drawing on a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences to generate world-leading scholarship and research,” said Regehr.

“We want our university to reflect the many communities that it serves.”

In addition, a $1-million investment will be made to support innovations and best practices in embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles in education and divisions across U of T.

There are also budget allocations for the creation of a new residency program to support Black and Indigenous librarians who are at an early stage in their careers.

Nearly $1 million is being committed to support the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre (SVPSC). The funding will go towards providing support to individuals who disclose or report incidences of sexual assault and expand capacity for prevention education across the three campuses.

U of T is continuing to prioritize mental health and wellness services, investing half a million dollars in the Stepped Care 2.0 model. There are plans to support programs to eliminate waitlists for same-day access and one-at-a-time counselling appointments, a new acute care service in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and a renovation to the St. George Health & Wellness Centre.

“Mental health and wellness continue to be a priority for the university,” says Regehr, who is also a professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “We want to make sure that every student has the support they need on and off campus.”

The University Fund will also invest $5.2 million in the Defy Gravity campaign, including matching funds for donations, $1.9 million to support divisional priorities and $9.2 million for driving scientific discovery.

Many universities across the country, including U of T, have faced challenges due to the ongoing global pandemic. Ancillary services have been impacted because of the decrease of on-campus activity, with food service outlets and parking being hit the hardest. Such services are normally self-sustaining and not funded by the operating budget.

“Over the last two years, we have not had the normal level of activity of students, staff and faculty commuting to our campuses, using parking services or purchasing items at food services,” says Jeff Lennon, executive director of institutional planning and budget administration at U of T.

“With the increase of on-campus activity, we’re anticipating those services will be in better shape by next year.”

Student residences are showing faster signs of recovery with high occupancy rates for the fall 2021 semester, according to the budget documents.

Despite some of the challenges COVID-19 poses, domestic and international student enrolment remains robust. In addition, enrolment in the summer semester is significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, with students increasingly interested in spreading courses across the three semesters.

To ensure that no domestic student who is accepted to a U of T program is prevented from pursuing their studies because of a lack of financial means, the university is budgeting $331 million in regular financial aid for 2022-23. The amount is expected to grow to $388 million over the next five years.

U of T assumes that Ontario’s tuition framework will be extended for another year, which, due to a freeze for Ontario resident domestic students, amounts to total annual shortfall of $167 million next year compared to the university’s plan from prior to the 10 per cent reduction and freeze that went into effect in 2019-20.

International students, who are on track to reach 31 per cent of the undergraduate body in five years, will continue to receive support from the university through programs such as the Pearsons Scholarships and a $53-million investment in the International Scholars program. An average tuition fee increase of two per cent, with variations by program, is planned for international students in 2022-23.

To generate additional revenue and support U of T’s academic mission, the university’s Four Corners development strategy aims to take advantage of the university’s real-estate assets. The goal is to generate $50 million in operating funding per year by 2033 through the development of new space devoted to campus services, amenities, office and retail spaces.

Several projects are in various stages of planning, design and construction. They include new student residences and the first building in the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus on the St. George campus.

Several academic projects are also in the works, including the development of the James and Louise Temerty Building on the site of the west wing of the current Medical Sciences Building; a new interdisciplinary building at U of T Mississauga; renovations in several Faculty of Arts & Science buildings on the St. George campus and a multi-use timber parking structure at U of T Scarborough.

In total, there are 31 projects in various stages of planning, design and construction at U of T, worth a total of $4.6 billion.

“For the past two years, the U of T community has safely and successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and is now looking forward to a sustained return to more in-person activities,” says Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships.

“That’s why we’ve continued to move forward with these critical projects on all three campuses, which will give U of T the necessary space to continue to grow and fulfil its important academic and research missions.”

U of T, Ryerson, York and OCAD address student housing challenges, solutions at StudentDwellTO symposium

Romi Levine — Fri, 03 May 2019 17:34:18 +0000

U of T, Ryerson, York and OCAD address student housing challenges, solutions at StudentDwellTO symposium

Romi Levine Fri, 05/03/2019 - 13:34

Cutline

Students at all four Toronto universities struggle with housing affordability, researchers say (photo by Ken Jones)

Topic

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Affordability has become a primary concern for Toronto residents – from the rising value of homes to soaring rents. But in conversations about affordable housing, one group is often left out: post-secondary students.

The presidents of Toronto’s universities – the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, OCAD University and York University – are pooling their resources and expertise to address this fundamental issue faced by students through the StudentDwellTO initiative.

Since 2017, faculty and students at the four universities have been working together to conduct an extensive literature review, teach studio courses, hold focus groups with students, analyze data and look for solutions to student housing issues.

Their work converged this week at StudentDwell+, a two-day symposium held at York University where groups presented their findings and scholars from around the world shared their expertise.

See the results from StudentMoveTO

At the symposium, members of StudentDwell’s core team presented some of the initial findings from 26 focus groups conducted with 116 students on six campuses. They included concerns about: limited on-campus housing options; predatory landlords; high transportation costs; and limited ability to participate in extracurricular activities if students lived far away from their classes.

Students also said their physical and mental well-being had taken a toll because of housing-related stress, including feelings of isolation from not being able to participate fully in campus life.

In speaking with students and reading literature on student housing, it became clear that one of the key issues is that students are rarely consulted in the decision-making processes around student housing, said Shelagh McCartney, an assistant professor at Ryerson’s School of Urban and Regional Planning and a StudentDwell member.

“There's a lot of perspective from parents and from developers in these discussions, but there are very few from actual students,” she told U of T News.

When it comes to finding solutions for student housing challenges, it’s not about finding a silver bullet, but “trying to understand how you can leverage positive and negative things to actually come up with an opportunity to do something,” said Mauricio Quirós Pacheco, an assistant professor, teaching stream at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design who is also part of StudentDwell.

The StudentDwell team suggested ways for universities to get started on addressing students' housing needs.

Marcelo Vieta, assistant professor at U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, said universities should look beyond developers to forge housing partnerships with non-profits, governments and co-operatives. He also said it was important to amplify student voices by teaming up with organizations such as student unions.

While design solutions are also being looked at, changing policy is also an important part of the equation, said Vieta.

“It's this unregulated private market with abusive landlords that's a major issue that's directly impacting [students’] education,” he told U of T News.

During the presidents’ panel discussion, President Gertler echoed these challenges.

“The status quo is clearly not working here,” he said. “We do need to find creative alternatives that depart from the standard private market model.”

One of the ways the U of T is doing so is through its “four corners” real estate strategy, according to President Gertler.

The strategy, which includes new residences like the proposed tower at Spadina and Sussex Avenues (left), focuses on “how we can utilize our land assets in particular in ways that generate value for the university and enhance our academic vision, and, at the same time, enhance the livability of everyone in the Greater Toronto Area,” President Gertler said.

U of T is in conversations with “socially-minded” developers who have a “shared goal of ensuring the continued dynamism of the city by ensuring people who live there are diverse in every sense of the word, including their socioeconomic position,” President Gertler added.

All four university leaders stressed the important role universities play in quality of life for Toronto residents and in addressing urban challenges.

“You see an increasing awareness of the importance of understanding the impact universities are actually having in bringing together multiple sectors, in bringing together not-for-profits or private industry to collaborate together and really leveraging individual strengths, and how to make a maximum difference or a maximum impact with a particular problem we're dealing with,” said Lenton.

In holding an event like StudentDwell+, Quirós Pacheco said those conversations between stakeholders can begin to take place.

“It's one of the few times where you really understand the breadth of the problem, but also the breadth of the expertise that are at the table and just how global the problem is.”

Four Corners

‘A win for students’: U of T acquires 20 per cent of privately owned CampusOne residence

U of T explores university housing development at Bloor and Spadina

With a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, U of T looks beyond the pandemic in 2022-23 budget

U of T, Ryerson, York and OCAD address student housing challenges, solutions at StudentDwellTO symposium

Read more about StudentDwellTO

See the results from StudentMoveTO