MacEwan University students welcome livelier neighbourhood
Students moving into MacEwan University residence for a new school year Sunday were greeted with a drastically changed downtown neighbourhood from a year ago.
Since move-in day last August, the home away from home for hundreds of post-secondary students has gained new neighbours, already opened or about to launch, in the form of Rogers Place, the Grand Villa Casino Edmonton, the Joey Bell Tower restaurant and the Brewery District.
As developments in Ice District and nearby 104 Street also take shape, students living at the residence at 110 Street and 105 Avenue now find themselves in the middle of an increasingly bustling entertainment and shopping zone.
Previously, the residence was surrounded mostly by parking lots.
For students, mostly in their late teens and early 20s and relocated from smaller communities, it’s an exciting and welcome change to their post-secondary experience — with some reservations.
“I feel like it’s going to be a little annoying because of the parking and the traffic,” said Haley Newman, an 18-year-old second-year science student moving in from Wainwright. “Already, the traffic is a little bit of a pain in the butt, but other than that, it’s nice to have all the restaurants and development around. I go to a lot of hockey games anyway so I’ll probably be over there.”
“The more that’s here for her, the better,” said Haley’s father, Len Newman. “Her work schedule is going to be pretty heavy, but if there are things that can relax her, it’s nice.”
Josh Mowat, a 19-near-old police studies student from Westlock, has a job with the MacEwan hockey team, which will play in the community arena beside Rogers Place, but he also looks forward to a more animated neighbourhood.
“It will kind of liven up the area, so that will be nice,” Mowat said. “It will bring a lot of people who wouldn’t come down normally and I think it’s great for the city that it’s down here.”
Dhaneshwaran Moonian, 20, from the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, came to Edmonton on vacation and decided to return to study computer science. He is impressed with the area developments, too.
“Everything seems quite near and convenient,” he said, but added his studies will come before the new distractions.
The area’s growth is becoming a selling point for the MacEwan residence, which faces increased competition from privately owned condominiums for rent, said Tim Lade, the university’s residence life co-ordinator.
About 710 students so far are moving into the facility, leaving openings still available in the 800-person residence.
In previous years, there was a waiting list to live in the building.
“We’re trying to create a whole student experience here, so being five minutes from Rogers Place is going to be a huge advantage, not having to worry about parking and only a five-block walk,” Lade said.
“The new Brewery District up the street only helps the campus culture of being a one-stop shop downtown experience.”