BRANTFORD – Construction on Laurier Brantford’s University Centre will begin in late spring 2009, with a target completion date of fall 2010. The facility will be located on Dalhousie St. – a key piece of the Heritage Block – and will accommodate Laurier Brantford’s projected growth over the next few years.

In the first phase of the project, the 30,000 sq.ft. building will include an expanded community bookstore as well as academic and office space. Residence space and food services will be added through a public-private partnership at a later date.

“The University Centre is a key piece for the campus expansion, so we are excited to see the project take shape,” said Laurier Brantford acting vice-president, Dr. Bruce Arai. “This is the first phase of a larger project, which will continue to add amenities to the campus and improve the overall student experience.”

Laurier is aiming to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) silver certification for the facility. It would be the first building at Laurier, and in Brantford-Brant County, to achieve silver certification.

“We’re aiming to decrease the environmental footprint of the building through sustainable design,” said Gary Nower, Laurier’s assistant vice-president of physical resources. “We’re looking at the whole life-cycle costs of the building and considering things like energy conservation, lower water consumption and incorporating sustainable landscape design. We’re positioning the building to maximize natural light to not only decrease energy use, but also to improve living, working and study spaces.”

Laurier Brantford was established in 1999 with 39 students. The University Centre will help the campus to grow to 2,800 students from its current enrolment of 2,200.