Mayor John Tory today announced that the City of Toronto, CreateTO and George Brown College will work collaboratively to explore a new campus project in the Mount Dennis area, as part of a broader city-building initiative.
Mayor John Tory was joined by Councillor Frances Nunziata (York South-Weston); Vic Gupta, CEO, CreateTO; and Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown College, at the York Recreation Centre for the announcement.
In March 2021, drawing on a key recommendation of the City’s Mount Dennis Economic Development Study, City Council requested that CreateTO identify land in the Mount Dennis area that would be suitable for a post-secondary campus. In parallel, the City reached out to Toronto-based post-secondary institutions to gauge their interest in assessing the opportunity to develop an academic presence or campus in the community.
George Brown College stepped forward and has confirmed its interest to work collaboratively with the City to assess the feasibility of a campus investment project in the Mount Dennis area, as part of its broader Campus Master Planning exercise.
Planned due diligence work to be conducted by George Brown, CreateTO and the City will determine whether a collaborative project involving a post-secondary investment in Mount Dennis is feasible and, if it is, how it could potentially catalyze and advance a range of related city-building goals with wide-ranging social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits for the community. Reports on the findings of the Campus Master Plan review and feasibility exercise will be received by the CreateTO Board of Directors and George Brown College Board of Governors in the third quarter of 2023.
More information about this feasibility study is available in the staff report on the Friday, April 29 agenda for the General Government and Licensing Committee.
Quotes:
“There has been a longstanding desire in the Mount Dennis community to attract a post-secondary institution and today’s announcement is answer to these calls. I’m pleased that George Brown College has expressed interest in exploring the opportunity of bringing a campus to the area. Now the real work begins to move this forward to ensure that we can continue to address the growing demands of our city, while attracting people from all over the world to one of our city’s most established educational institutions. I want to thank all of our partners for making this possible and for helping us move this important project forward. I know the community of Mount Dennis will welcome this news and the many benefits in which it will bring to the area.”
– Mayor John Tory
“I’m thrilled that this collaborative exercise between the City, CreateTO and George Brown to investigate the possibility of a campus project in the Mount Dennis area is being initiated. The community benefits a campus would include not only a place for education, but also the opportunity for new local job creation and places for cultural expression.”
– Councillor Frances Nunziata (York South-Weston)
“Working with the City’s Corporate Real Estate Management and Economic Development and Culture divisions, CreateTO has identified three preliminary City-owned sites that could potentially accommodate a post-secondary campus. We’ll continue to explore others as we advance our work with the City and George Brown College to investigate this exciting opportunity for the Mount Dennis area.”
– Vic Gupta, CEO, CreateTO
“In Mount Dennis, we see a community that is brimming with potential, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the City of Toronto to explore the amazing possibility and feasibility of a satellite campus in the area. Together with the City of Toronto and the local City Councillor, George Brown College hopes to forge a future that creates opportunities and meets the needs of students, community members and employers in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood.”
– Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown College
CreateTO was formed in 2018 as the City of Toronto’s new real estate agency. The organization brings together stakeholders, partners and community members to ensure the best use of the City’s real estate assets for today and tomorrow. CreateTO manages the City’s $27 billion real estate portfolio, develops City buildings and lands for municipal purposes and delivers client focused real estate solutions – ensuring a balance of both community and economic benefits. For more information, visit CreateTO’s webpage.
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