[johnnyboy]

It has been planned to meet a 2030 growth projection so it is real!

Those growth projections are significantly out of date, unfortunately, and need to be recalibrated in light of the cuts to international. Their domestic base will not compensate for the loss of international students.

This building is still very much planned, but the college is facing headwinds (and forthcoming layoffs) just like the other post-secondary institutions that rely heavily on international funding.

 

[archited]

^ That may be @johnnyboy but it doesn't stop a train in motion. And as far as projections re immigration at the post-secondary level and the post-graduate level who can say 5 or 6 years out when political calculus is in near-total flux.

 

[StoneCutter099]

NorQuest College's downtown campus was designed for a capacity of around 5,000 Full Load Equivalent (FLE) students. (There's a metric used to determine the equivalent of a full load - multiple part time students, depending on how many courses they are enrolled in make up one FLE). The NQ Downtown Campus Master Plan, completed in 2022, established that the appropriate size of campus will be # of FLEs x 7.5 m2. The campus is at around 64,000 m2 right now, and the 23/24 academic year saw 11,400 FLEs. And although there'll be a correction based on IRCC rules, there's still growth projected and a deepening of the space deficit attached to the campus. This building is aimed at reducing (but will not eliminate) the space deficit when it opens.

 

[archited]

Precisely so.

 

[IanO]

NorQuest CollegeNorQuest College23,111 followers23,111 followers5d • 5 days ago
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The Government of Alberta’s Budget 2025 has invested $4 million at NorQuest College to connect people to the workforce and fill skill gaps in critical industries. The funding allows NorQuest to proceed to the planning and design stage for the Career Skills Centre (CSC), a new purpose-built facility on the college’s downtown campus that will shape the future of NorQuest and improve educational quality, learner experience, and learning outcomes.

“Unlocking NorQuest’s future growth is good for Alberta. It means more historically marginalized learners are being empowered with the skills and confidence they need to realize their potential,” says Carolyn Campbell, President and CEO, NorQuest College. “It also means more workforce-ready graduates who can step onto the front lines of Alberta’s economy, ready to contribute to employers across the province. I am grateful for Government’s support of the project and look forward to working with our community on its next steps.”

Located in the heart of Edmonton’s Education District, the proposed Career Skills Centre will be a 35,000 m² facility designed to accommodate 3500-4000 additional full-time learners. When complete, the facility will house purpose-built spaces for career-focused programs in Energy Management, Machine Learning, Engineering University Transfer, Digital Information Careers, Early Learning and Child Care, Environmental Technician, Arts and Sciences, and Health Care Aide.

The CSC will also be home to NorQuest’s Indigenous House of Learning and Indigenous Career Centre to elevate Indigenous programs and learning philosophies and will also act as a research hub to develop responsive solutions to the most pressing problems of Alberta industries and communities.

NorQuest’s enrolment has tripled since 2010, with the equivalent of 11,000 full-time learners on a campus built for 5,000. Projections suggest that by 2030, enrolment will exceed 15,000 full-time learners.

The total project cost is projected to be between $240 - $250 million, with a $185 - 190 million capital grant to be requested from Government. NorQuest will support the $55 - $65 million difference between the requested capital funding and the total project cost through a donor campaign, net asset contributions, and debt financing.

Pending capital funding, the Career Skills Centre could begin construction in 2027 and open as early as 2029.

hashtag#NorQuestCollege

 

[MacLac]

Another “announcement” of the new facility but like all things UCP - no construction ever! Are they ever going to actually build something? We’re on year 2 and they haven’t broke ground on anything….

 

[archited]

Another GEC education building -- should continue a high standard along 108th Street (Capital Boulevard) and continue the "competition" between NorQuest and MacU. Both are showing what high standards look like.

 

[Out of Towner]

Another GEC education building -- should continue a high standard along 108th Street (Capital Boulevard) and continue the "competition" between NorQuest and MacU. Both are showing what high standards look like.

Easy to get behind that one. The bonus is the economic spinoff it generates for the surrounding area and city coffers.

 

[IanO]

Another “announcement” of the new facility but like all things UCP - no construction ever! Are they ever going to actually build something? We’re on year 2 and they haven’t broke ground on anything….
View attachment 644947

A VERY good PR event to ensure pressure is kept on the UCP to fulfill this capital project amidst what will be some pullback given our budget/fiscal outlook.

 

[_urbanite]

IF that building looks like it does in the rendering, it will be one of our nicest buildings downtown. Will it look anything close to that rendering in reality? I doubt it.

Hopefully I'm wrong

 

[IanO]

Like most, expect some 'value' engineering, but here's hoping it's close and an amazing new addition to the core.

 

[archited]

GEC is one of those rare architectural firms that prorates their designs and goes through a full quantity survey analysis -- I would be surprised if we get anything other than what is presented in the rendering. The task of doing this is becoming much easier with BIM and AI. Several high-end design programs -- ArchiCAD, Vectorworks, and Revit lead the way. ArchiCAD was the earliest adopter of BIM and has worked to perfect it through the subsequent years. I use all three in my work effort. When I had my office in Edmonton I had 35 people on staff (not all designers). I can now do the same amount of work as all of that staff put together by myself -- that's the kind of difference these software programs have made with their incremental advances through the years. And AI now is able to check architectural/engineering drawings against the relevant jurisdictional code and highlight anything that could be flagged by Planning, Zoning, and/or Building & Safety and note ways to achieve compliance. Ideally, then, when submitted to governing agencies projects so designed should be able to be approved on first-round reviews, slicing through red tape. I can hardly wait until jurisdictions employ the same AI review process so that plans can be approved literally overnight. Imagine the savings in that kind of effort!

 

[Edmcowboy11]

So just was thinking about this. When this building gets built, would it be good to keep the road between the Norquest buildings open or would it be better to close the road for that one Block?

 

[Gronk!]

So just was thinking about this. When this building gets built, would it be good to keep the road between the Norquest buildings open or would it be better to close the road for that one Block?

Not to be rude or anything, but you'll need to sketch it out on Google Maps because I don't have a clue what you're talking about!

 

[Glenco]

A VERY good PR event to ensure pressure is kept on the UCP to fulfill this capital project amidst what will be some pullback given our budget/fiscal outlook.

Carney made an election promise in the debate to provide funding for trades training so perhaps there will be federal funding for this project and NAIT if you vote Liberal.