Construction will begin soon on three student residence buildings near Georgian College’s Owen Sound campus.
City council approved on Monday night the site plan for the development, slated for the southwest corner of 16th Avenue East and 10th Street East, near the hospital.
College officials and a representative of the developer, Campus Living Centres, talked with council about the project.
It will be privately built and owned, although tied to the college by an agreement.
The project will incorporate three townhouse buildings and accommodate 60 students.
Brian Freeman — the Vice President of Campus Living Centres — says it will be ready for occupation by next September at the latest.
It’s much needed housing for a college campus that has grown from 350 to more than 600 full-time post-secondary students in the last three years.
That number does not include students who are enrolled on a part-time basis or who are enrolled in apprenticeship or upgrading programs.
First-year enrolment rate at the campus this year is more than 400 students, an all-time high.
Donna Jansen — the Associate Dean of the Owen Sound campus — says that although this is a private development not owned by the college, Georgian will use it to market itself to prospective students from outside Grey and Bruce counties.
Freeman says the potential exists for future developments of this type, provided Georgian continues to be successful at recruiting new students to the area.
He credits Steve Furness, the city’s manager of economic development and tourism, with combining the city’s efforts with those of the college to bring Campus Living Centres on board with this project.