The province says it’s willing to commit an additional $20 million in funding for a Vancouver Island University student-housing project that’s running two years behind schedule.
Construction was supposed to begin in the spring of 2023 on a new student-housing complex on the Nanaimo campus, with the building set to be ready for students this fall, but the design was only finalized last summer.
VIU is now projecting that the 10-storey student residence, with an additional 266 beds, won’t open until the summer of 2027.
The Nanaimo campus currently has 536 on-campus beds.
VIU’s latest student residence was initially planned as a nine-storey building, with the province providing the bulk of funding — $87 million.
The province announced this week that it’s willing to fund up to a total of $103 million on the student housing project.
[...]
Anne Kang, minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, said VIU’s new housing tower is part of the provincial government’s commitment to build 12,000 student housing units across B.C.
That includes a 423-bed, six-storey student residence at Camosun College’s Lansdowne campus in Saanich that was announced last summer.
The project — Camosun College’s first student residence building — is expected to welcome its first occupants in the fall of 2027.
The province has committed $151.7 million in funding for that project, with the remaining $3 million fronted by Camosun College.
Other projects underway on the Island include 217 beds of student housing at North Island College at a cost of $77.9 million, with the province contributing $75.9 million.
https://www.timescol...-tower-10129622
Why do taxpayers have to foot all the bills? Why can't they run at a profit? You know, charge the students living there the going rate.
Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 January 2025 - 05:33 AM.