There is a lot of construction going on at the University of Toronto St. George downtown campus.  There are fences around King’s College Circle; wooden boards protecting historic trees.  The earth is upturned; I could have sworn I saw a plough.  They are sowing the seeds for something better to come.  A condo, perhaps?  If the kids are all at home, then why are they rushing to give this campus a makeover?

Officials are extremely optimistic that this pandemic will end (eventually) and that students will return for in-person learning.  The University of Toronto has taken this opportunity to embark on an ambitious construction project over the next three years that will reduce its carbon footprint and trickle down to a reduction in student fees.  They have not, however, been forthcoming on how much of a savings this would mean for an individual student.  But the sound of a “massive underground geoexchange field” is exciting enough to justify the massive overhaul.  Apparently, this underground system will capture heat acquired over the summer and store it for later use in the winter.  Excellent!  I know this will work for there is a lot of hot air to go around.  

If you try to dig into just how much this major construction project is going to cost, your internet search will not yield much.  Hence the need for a bulldozer for your excavation.  The Varsity reports the following contributions:  $100,000 from Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation; $250,000 from University of Toronto Students’ Union and $1 million from the University of Toronto Alumni Association.  This is a great start, although it does not shed light on the overall cost of this construction project and whether or not these contributions are sufficient to cushion the blow. 

(https://www.utoronto.ca/news/construction-begins-historic-u-t-campus-revitalization-project)

(https://landmark.utoronto.ca/faq/)

(https://thevarsity.ca/2020/09/27/timing-of-landmark-project-expenditure-is-questionable-in-the-midst-of-a-pandemic/)

The official web site of the Landmark Project prides itself on the promise of inscribed pavers, tree recognitions, bench plaques and garden stones to commemorate donors.  This beats the Boundless banners hanging off the lamp posts.  Who doesn’t want to see their name inscribed on a paver/tree trunk/bench plaque/garden stone?  Get ‘em while their hot.  Or else Rogers just might beat you to it.

Have a look for yourself.  This is how the future is going to look like: https://www.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/UofT11508_20160412_Landmark_MedSciPlaza_001-lpr_0.jpg

In 3 years’ time, we will all be able to sit together in public without the fear of killing each other by way of aerosols and variants.  This is how the project planners see it.  

All these campus accoutrements sound delightful, but what will this all mean to a regular student?   I know for one that when major repairs are done to an apartment building, shortly thereafter, tenants receive a notice that their rent has gone up once again.  Should we get the kids to pay for someone else’s face-lift?  Haven’t they paid enough?

Pic from pixabay.com