Renovated College Building opens to applause
One thing is certain about the newly renovated College Building — the acoustics are great.
Deafening rounds of applause filled the atrium during a ribboncutting ceremony Friday morning, which marked the official grand reopening after two years of extensive renovations.
“I was told, You will never get this project off the ground. It will never happen,” said University of Regina president and vice-chancellor Vianne Timmons. “I was told, ‘ We don’t need these historic buildings. Why don’t you tear them down? Why don’t you sell them to someone for a dollar?’ “
But after six years of advocacy by Timmons and other key players, and two years of renovations, the project has finally come to fruition.
“It was about 2010 when we started to push ... and I am thrilled, but I am thrilled for our students,” she said. “That they get to enjoy this beautiful historical building, but have modern technology.”
Part of the College Avenue Campus Renewal Project, it is one of three big projects, including renovations of Darke Hall and the construction of Conexus Credit Union’s new head office.
Parts of the building were demolished, additions were built, every room was renovated and rewired. The new atrium gives street-level access to the building and its additions, and elevator access to the lower, main, second and third floors.
“It is a rejuvenation of a historic site for our city,” said Mayor Michael Fougere of the College Building as well as renovations at Darke Hall — phase two of the renewal project. “It is about animating College Avenue, animating the building, bringing students downtown and having a new sense of life and opportunity that may go if we don’t support this.”
Funding to the tune of $3 million is still needed to complete Darke Hall, which Fougere said the city has indirectly supported through its donation of 2.6 acres of land just west of Darke Hall for construction of the new Conexus building.
Exterior renovations have been completed, leaving the interior to be completed. Both Darke Hall and the new Conexus building are expected to be finished by early 2020. Timmons is confident there will be no delays and that the remaining funding will be raised in time.
“We will be moving forward, asking the community to support that renovation,” said Timmons. “It will not be delayed. We are as committed to opening Darke Hall for this community and for this province as we were for the College Building.”
Funding for the $63.6-million College Building restoration included a $28.7-million contribution from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF), $25 million in private and in-kind donations, and the $8.25-million partnership with Conexus.
The building houses the U of R’s Centre for Continuing Education, Lifelong Learning Centre, Conservatory of Performing Arts, the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and the Centre for the Study of Science Innovation and Policy.