Place to stay
New 260-bed residence announced for UPEI students
A new residence building at UPEI will ease the challenge for many students seeking a suitable place to stay and study.
Premier Dennis King says housing should not be a contributing source of stress for post-secondary students who already have plenty to deal with.
King announced Friday the province and UPEI are partnering on a $60 million, 260-bed housing facility that will also have lecture halls and multipurpose space. The province is contributing $20 million.
“This is a good step forward to help students focus on what matters most to them,’’ he says.
“The stability of knowing they have a place to call home all year long will positively add to their student experience and academic success.’’
King praised the drive and vision of UPEI president Alaa Abd-El Aziz, adding it was “easy for me to get behind a project like this.’’
Abd-El Aziz says the project helps the province in its ongoing efforts to build a great community.
“A very, very emotional time for me,’’ he says. “Everything we do in this institution is for the students.’’ The previous Liberal government had already committed funding towards a 260-bed residence at UPEI last year as part of measures the province was taking to address P.E.I.’s housing crunch.
The new residence will increase the university’s housing capacity from 9.4 per cent to 15 per cent of the current student body.
The facility will provide yearround housing, allowing out of province and international students to continue their studies or pursue employment opportunities all year long.
“With UPEI’s record growth in the number of students, and many of these students interested in experiencing oncampus residence life, we have seen increased demand for our existing residences,’’ says AbdEl Aziz.
“The new residence facility will also feature a number of classrooms to alleviate some of the pressure on our academic space.’’
The project is expected to be completed by 2022 in advance of the 2023 Canada Winter Games being hosted by P.E.I.
This will complete UPEI’s transformation to the athletes village where competitors from across the nation will take up temporary residence for the duration of the Games, after which UPEI students can begin moving in.