With enrollment numbers on the rise at Lambton College, the school is working to develop a new residence concept to accommodate more students.
College President and CEO Rob Kardas said they've hired Ernst and Young (EY) LLP to undertake a market analysis of the housing needs locally, and explore development opportunities.
"They're going to analyze enrollment to estimate the size, scale and scope of the project," said Kardas. "The market analysis will look at wanting to understand the short and long-term demands and the supply of student housing in the area. They're really going to look at the project from A to Z and present us with different options. Ultimately, based on what they hear from the college community, the community at large, and from our students they're really going to present us with an option that they think is the best for the college."
Kardas said they need more room for both domestic and international students.
"We're focused on potentially having a space for families," he said. "We know that a lot of our international students come over with their families, and that could be a potential area to look at. We're exploring maybe a building that has different amenities to it. Certainly space is a key factor. A lot of colleges have built newer buildings, and we want to make sure we're keeping up in that light."
Kardas said the college is considering all viable options, and is open to developing alternative student living concepts which explore the possibility of third party development, design or operation.
He said there are a number of different options in terms of location, noting that the parking lot at the current residence is quite large.
Edward Ng, a partner with the Infrastructure Advisory practice at EY Canada, commented on the partnership with Lambton College.
"At EY, we have a proud record of helping Canadian post-secondary institutions explore modern solutions that help enhance campus culture for students," said Ng. "We look forward to working with Lambton College and collaborating in exploring and evaluating development options for a new residential lifestyle concept that will foster an excellent campus living experience for a diverse and global student community."