Ryerson: Jarvis Street Residence

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RYERSON UNIVERSITY DEVELOPING NEW STUDENT RESIDENCE TO MEET GROWING DEMAND Public private partnership will create more than 500 additional residence spaces To meet growing demand, Ryerson University has announced a modern new student residence project in downtown Toronto that will create more than 500 additional spaces. The residence, to be developed by the MPI Group and designed by IBI Group Architects, will be located at 186-188 Jarvis Street, a five-minute walk from the heart of the Ryerson campus. It is expected to open in September, 2016. “Ryerson’s outstanding programs attract students from Ontario, across Canada and around the world,” said Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University. “Our students have told us that they want more and better housing options closer to campus. This new residence will do just that - adding more than 500 beds, increasing the number of residence spots by 30% - and this is just the first wave of 2,000 new residence spaces that we plan to add by 2020.” Demand for a Ryerson education is high – the university has more applications to available spaces than any other university in Ontario. The innovative public private partnership between Ryerson and the MPI group will see the private company cover all of the construction and development costs while the university will provide the student tenants for the building as well as a range of vibrant residence student life services. “This sleek student residence is a great addition to the Ryerson community,” said Julia Hanigsberg, vice president of administration and finance. “Our new residence will build on the strong reputation of Ryerson within the local community, assist with the ongoing transformation of the neighbourhood and help meet the need for more residence space.” The proposed residence is in keeping with Ryerson’s approach to city building and reflects the core principles of the Ryerson Master Plan: urban intensification, putting people first through pedestrianization of the urban environment, and a commitment to design excellence. While the design of the new student residence has not been finalized, preliminary plans feature a two-storey podium at grade providing retail and other services, and a 30 storey building offering a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom units. “As an urban university, Ryerson is already well integrated into the fabric of downtown Toronto. The most effective way we can meet the need for student housing near our campus is through intensification and vertical expansion,” said Hanigsberg. The new student residence will meet Toronto’s Green Building Standards and will include amenities such as laundry, shared kitchens, modern open concept living spaces, open terraces and glassed-in lounges. “We are looking forward to working with our partners and the City of Toronto to provide more residence spaces,” said Hanigsberg. Construction of the new residence is expected to begin by 2014. The residence is scheduled to open in September, 2016.