Trent to grow in Durham
Peterborough-based Trent University has unveiled plans to grow its Oshawa campus in the coming years. A proposed expansion to the university’s Thornton Road campus could grow its population to more than 2,500 in years to come.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
For more than four decades, Trent University’s Durham campus has been building a steady presence and name for itself. Now, administration is hoping to take things to the next level.
According to Leo Groarke, the president of Trent University, the Oshawa campus has slowly come out of its shell and away from the looming presence of its much larger counterpart to the east.
“I think for many of those years, the Durham campus was really a shadow of what went on at the Peterborough campus,” Groarke says.
However, that has now changed, and the two locations have become “increasingly independent campuses”, culminating with Trent Durham hosting its first separate convocation for graduates earlier this month.
Along with Joe Muldoon, the head of the Durham campus, Groarke visited Oshawa council to lay out the campus’ plans for expansion and the hope of bringing their student population – currently just under 1,000 – to more than 2,500 in the coming years.
Plans are in place to build a $38-million academics building and an $18-million student residence, which Trent hopes to construct using a private-pubic partnership.
Currently, Trent leases the land beside the Civc Recreation Complex, and the vacant lot fronting on Thonrton Road South.
The original agreement for the property was signed between the city and the university back in 2010, with a stipulation in place that Trent obtain a building permit for a new building before August 2015. That term was first extended in 2013, pushing the date to August 2017, and once again, at their recent meeting, council has agreed to extend the date to 2019, mainly due to the fact that Trent’s enrolment projections do not necessitate expansion until after next year .
Despite the delays, Muldoon, in a letter to city staff, stressed the institution’s commitment to the campus, noting Trent commissioned a study last year to look at the lands and create detailed plans for the new buildings.
Groarke took his chance before councillors to share the same sentiment.
“I think it’s a priority for the board to put some emphasis on Durham,” he said.
Currently, Trent Durham provides 11 degree programs for students and it is estimated the campus provides $47 million to Oshawa’s local economy.