The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) has allocated the Laurentian University School of Architecture $701,000 for project development and other plans associated with the new school.
The funding announced June 29 will be used to draw plans for the new school, including developing curriculum, opening a project office and building public awareness across the north.
The proposed school would be located in downtown Sudbury.
“The McGuinty government identified this project as one of interest a few years back, and I am excited to see it becoming more and more a reality with every passing day,” said Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci, in a release.
“This new school would provide an important boost to our economy but also help diversify the way we do business in Sudbury, by attracting hundreds of specialized students to the community while also providing a great source for inspiration relating to the revitalization of the city’s downtown core.”
A 2008 feasibility study, funded in part by a $40,000 investment from the NOHFC, found that there is a significant shortage of spaces at Canadian architecture schools. It also found that the construction of a new, 75,000 square foot school would cost approximately $35 million.
“The establishment of a made-in-the North, bilingual school of architecture would support youth and talent retention and would encourage students to integrate northern products and thinking into their designs,” said Bartolucci.
