STORY BY CORDELL VENTURA & MICHAEL MELRO
Sheridan took a giant step into the future last Friday when ground was broken on HMC2.
College president Jeff Zabudsky, outgoing mayor Hazel McCallion and other dignitaries gathered to start construction on the second phase of the Mississauga campus.
The 220,000-square-foot building will include space for up to 29 classrooms, 28 studios and a “creative campus complex.” It will have space to accommodate up to 3,200 full-time students, increasing the HMC student population to 5,500.
“We’ve accommodated more of that space for students, when they’re not in class, to work and collaborate,” Zabudsky added. “It is going to be an absolutely world-class and sustainable building.”
The provincial government gave the project $60 million in a one-time payment. The remainder of the $67.3 million came from private donations and fundraising efforts, meaning it will have no affect on student tuition.
Zabudsky also noted proudly that the new building is anticipated to be No. 1 in North America in design, teaching and learning space.
HMC2 will be named the Pilon School of Business, after Randy Pilon, a graduate of Sheridan’s Business program, who donated $2.5 million.
“The Sheridan community is very proud of Randy’s success, and extremely grateful for his generous support and ongoing commitment,” said Zabudsky.
McCallion, currently chair of the college’s fundraising campaign, said she will continue to be involved in the Sheridan community. “Any way they want me to help them, I’ll be available. They mean a lot to me, Sheridan College.”
According to Zabudsky, the college will next focus on student life, including a residence, athletic facilities, a health centre and possibly a pub.
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“We know that to be a really robust environment, we need to give the things that students like to have,” said Zabudsky. “So we’ll begin planning on that right away, stay tuned on that.”
The Pilon School of Business will provide students with a range of degree, diploma and certificate-based programs.
The Sheridan Creative Partnership is leading the HMC expansion. It has put together a team comprising Bondfield Construction, Moriyama & Teshima Architects/Montgomery Sisam Architects and Rocklynn Capital Inc. responsible for the design, build and financing of the project.
“I would love to see the Pilon School of Business become a go-to place for talent simply based on the quality of graduates it produces,” said Pilon.