Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The decision is pending":
According to YorkU's Executive Summary in the document dealing with Vision and Principles referred to earlier it states: "The location of the new campus will contribute to shaping growth in York Region and supporting a healthy community, environment and economy. Within 5 years of opening, York University aims to have 5,000 students in York Region. Within 20 years the campus can be expected to grow to 10,000-20,000 students.
This is not a plan to purchase the Hallmark building, currently listed for sale at $17,000,000. Nor is it a plan to develop the Petch House. For some reason council has sloughed this off onto the public with the Communications Department's invitation to the public to come up with some suggestions. There are no utilities presently serving the building and to the best of my knowledge there have been no estimates of costs to provide these. If we can't agree on the use for a building of approximately 1,200 square feet, what on earth are we doing with a proposal for a major university, with a possible maturity within the next half century?
Mr. Garbe's comments in the article by Brock Weir this week are full of generalities. He speaks of benefits to the community that are "well documented", citing studies that have shown a multiplier effect of 1.75 for every 1.
"We'll definitely have to identify a location as part of the bid process...If we have a location, then we have a bid. If we don't have a location, we don't have a bid. This is a statement of shear genius.
If one assumes a significant campus even only half of York's original one, we are looking at 225 acres. The only land area of that significance is on both sides of St. John's Sideroad east of Bayview and running to the town's eastern border at Highway 404. Who owns this land? What is it worth?
If a successful bidder for the campus is expected to donate the land that is worth into the many millions of dollars, how will that be dealt with?
It appears that there is a great rush into oblivion by staff and councillors who are simply not qualified to deal with situations of this magnitude.
Frankly, I don't see the Ontario government being in a position by September to assist in the selection of the winning municipality, even without an election.
Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 10 April 2014 21:57j
The whole thing sounds completely nuts !
ReplyDeleteIt is a trifle ironic that the Mayor referred to this being the Silly Season when he was already up to his ears in secret meetings with the Mayor of Newmarket. I am delighted that we will not have to wait for long to find out if anything was accomplished. Given his track record, the odds are very low.
ReplyDeleteI can't see a university or college campus anywhere in Aurora. It would have to come with it's own student housing. There's no space left in Aurora. It's a pipe dream. And sure, every homeowner who can would start doing the basement renos to offer student apartments whether legal or not. It's all about the optics - every politician has to be at least seen supporting such a measure. Yes, it would bring those high paying jobs that they are all looking for into the neighbourhood. (And student rents would be through the roof that no student could afford to live in the area).
ReplyDeleteFunny thing, I can't remember who it was but last election one of the Aurora candidates was proposing a higher education campus in Aurora and everyone laughed him off. Now they're all joining his original thoughts.
11:19
ReplyDeleteThat would have been Mr Clowater.
See, we do give credit where it is due.
It doesn't much matter - York is supposed to decide within a month or so on a location.
ReplyDelete