Today, the Government of Ontario announced it would be investing $27 million to support the expansion and modernization of the OCAD University campus along McCaul and Duncan Streets in downtown Toronto.
The province’s investment towards OCAD University’s Creative City Campus project will allow for:
- Expansion and refurbishment of studio spaces and fabrication technology at 100 McCaul St., including the historic George Reid House, facing Grange Park
- Construction of collaborative learning spaces in the Sharp Centre for Design
- Creation of new shared student spaces, including the Grange Park Room, Student Commons and Indigenous Visual Culture Centre
- Revitalization and expansion of the Art and Design Library
- Development of a Centre for Experiential Learning, located at 115 McCaul St. (currently the Rosalie Sharp Pavilion)
Reza Moridi, Ontario’s minister for training, colleges and universities, called the project “a game-changer for Toronto’s downtown core” in a release.
In total, this project will add 55,000 square feet of new space and upgrade 94,700 square feet of existing space.
OCAD University still needs to raise $16.7 million to make the project a reality. Total projected budget on the expansion and renovation is $59.7 million.
Construction is projected to begin in April/May 2017 and be completed by the start of the 2020-2021 academic year.
OCAD University is the third-largest art and design university in North America, and is Canada’s largest and oldest educational institution for art and design.
