Sault College to close its doors. Because they're ugly

Sault College President Dr. Ron Common instructed members of the news media today to throw away their pictures of the post-secondary institution's front doors.

"That's the first thing that's going to go," Dr. Common said with a laugh, speaking at an announcement of major funding to update the college's facility.

The whole building is being redesigned around revamped and amped-up programming the college plans to offer, Common (shown) said.

It's part of a five-year facility renewal plan on which public input will be sought.

But Phase 1 of the massive project got underway with today's announcement.

MPP David Orazietti announced $16 million to help Sault College create a modern, multi–functional facility inluding more academic space that will increase the floor space by one quarter.

The plan involves a total do-over of the down-on-its-heels main entrance, including relocating the front doors.

To where, exactly, we don't yet know.

"We know [the building] is going to be 100,000 square feet bigger," Common said. "My first sense would be that it will be a two-story building of 50,000 square feet on each floor, but an architect may have different ideas."

Common promised an unveiling of the drawings as soon as they are ready.

The full text of Sault College's media release about today's announcement follows.

************************ Infrastructure project announced at Sault College

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON - (May 29, 2009) - In an announcement from David Orazietti, MPP, on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable John Milloy, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, the federal and provincial governments have provided a total of $16 million in infrastructure funding for Sault College.

This funding will allow the college to undergo phase 1 of the College's campus renewal plan proposal, with the development of a new Academic wing comprised of 100,000 square feet.

Other funding required for this phase will come from applications still pending from other sources and College reserve funds amounting to $25 million dollars.

The new academic space is expected to include a modular classroom design of modern, multi-functional classrooms, as well as much needed office and research space, to accommodate a variety of program and student needs.

As well, a reconfigured gateway main entrance to enhance the visibility and image of the College will be constructed.

A Request for Proposal for Construction Management will go out on June 1, 2009. To further expedite the process, the project will follow an integrated team/design built/construction management delivery process managed by a large national firm.

It is intended to award the contract to a single company to provide design and construction services in order to meet the criterion of a completion by March 31, 2011.

"I am absolutely thrilled by this announcement. This is the biggest capital announcement in the history of the college; making this the most exciting day in our history" says Dr. Ron Common, president, Sault College.

"This project will enable us to expand the campus by 100,000 sq. ft., a quarter of our current space. The college is undergoing a renaissance in terms of new programming so this will help reflect the new offerings. Our College has the most highly rated faculty in the province according to student satisfaction surveys and now we can start to have the facility that our students deserve."

This announcement will assist the college and the community, first, by creating a large number of construction jobs in building the facility, and then in the long-term, by continuing to grow the college enrolment with associated faculty and staff positions.

"Our thanks goes to David Orazietti, our MPP, who, over the past several months, has been relentless in lobbying the provincial government on behalf of Sault College and who has opened many doors at Queens Park and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities," stated Dr. Common. "We'd also like to thank Mayor John Rowswell, who lobbied for us with the federal government and offered both his and the city's support for our proposal throughout the process. And on behalf of the college, I would like to thank the provincial and federal government for recognizing the need for this extremely important investment that will help us to transform and equip our college for the 21st Century," he added.

These funding announcements were made as part of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a two-year, $2 billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at post-secondary institutions across Canada.

************************