Brock asks Region for $1.5M for innovative hub
Officials from Brock University arrived at the Niagara Region planning and economic development committee meeting armed with a LINC to the future and a funding request for $1.5 million.
Brock president Gervan Fearon gave the councillors an overview of the school’s soon-to-open facility, called the LINC, which stands for Learning, Innovation, Networking and Collaboration. It’s expected to help build bridges between academia and the community at large.
The $19-million facility rising in front of Brock’s Schmon Tower covers 41,000 square feet and is dedicated to research, innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship through programming open to residents as well as Brock faculty and students, Fearon said.
Regional chair Jim Bradley has already toured the LINC, which is nearing completion.
“It’s very avant-garde space,” Bradley said. “It is very much looking into the future.
“One of the things we always hear about universities — though it is rarely true — is that they live in isolation from the community in which they are located.
“I was impressed with the opportunities the community will have to access the facilities.”
The committee referred the request to regional council’s 2020 budget deliberations, which are becoming more difficult with each new request.
“Council always has a challenge in its deliberations, but I think we see this as a genuine investment as opposed to an expenditure,” Bradley said.
The Region’s funding would support what is referred to as the LINC’s Makerspace, Fearon said.
That space is designed to help businesses and entrepreneurs with research and development and comes replete with idea boards, multi-touch interactive screens and state-of-the-art technologies including 3D printers. The Makerspace will also offer technical assistance and a range of support services.
Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop asked Fearon if Brock could supply facts and figures that demonstrate a return on investment, which will come in handy during budget debates.
“I don’t want anyone to question my commitment to education, but we have a difficult task in that we have many people asking us for funding,” Redekop said.
A report from staff included a list of big-ticket requests of the Region for 2020.
They include a suicide-prevention initiative, airport improvements, waterfront investment, Smarter Niagara development incentives, Niagara Regional Transit phase-in costs, new positions for the Niagara Regional Police deferred from the 2019 budget, long-term care home redevelopment, GO implementation and an EMS central hub.
The 10 requests would cost an estimated $18 million. Not included is the cost of GO implementation.
If the rest were all approved, it would require a 5.12 per cent levy increase before any of the Region’s mandated services were funded.