The
Globe & Mail writes on the UofT Scarborough's (UTSC) dramatic
makeover in preparation for the 2015 Pan AM Games in Toronto. The
renovations plans include an $170-million aquatic center, a hotel and
convention centre, a performing arts centre, new
residences and academic buildings and a pedestrian throughfare. As
reported by the Globe & Mail, far from only serving the athletic
"extravaganza" the new additions have the potential to give UTSC a new
identity and "to do for southeast Scarborough what Ryerson is doing for
Yonge Street and George Brown College is expected to do for Toronto's
waterfront: Improve the neighbourhood."
"When Franco Vaccarino became principal of the University of Toronto
Scarborough three years ago, he kept hearing a back-handed compliment
about his new campus."
"This place," people would say, "is a hidden gem."
"Shrouded by trees and invisible from the nearest major streets, UTSC
is more like a covert campus. In his careful academic way, Prof.
Vaccarino concedes the school needs to blow its own cover."
"I like the 'gem' part," Prof. Vaccarino said. "I'm not so sure about the 'hidden' part."
"Now UTSC is on its way to becoming a much more visible treasure,
thanks to an international sporting extravaganza bigger than the Winter
Olympics.The 2015 Pan Am Games and a new $170-million aquatic centre
for UTSC are propelling an extreme campus makeover that could include a
hotel and convention centre, a performing arts centre, a new pedestrian
thoroughfare lined with restaurants and caf�s, and new residences and
academic buildings.By transforming 50 hectares north of the existing
campus, the expansion could do for southeast Scarborough what Ryerson
is doing for Yonge Street and George Brown College is expected to do
for Toronto's waterfront: Improve the neighbourhood. The spillover
effect is especially important at UTSC, where the poor � and poorly
served � pockets of Kingston-Galloway and Malvern are a few kilometres
away."
"There's a lot of pride in the area, but there's very few opportunities
to express the pride," said Andrew Arifuzzaman, UTSC's chief strategy
officer. "I think the Pan Am Games facility actually puts the area on
the world stage."
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original source
Globe & Mail