Kanchi Uttamchandani | Assistant News Editor
Featured image: The Quad student residence is set to become sQuad goals on the south end of Keele campus. | Cedric Cruz
Current construction near Pond Road will soon redeem itself in the form of a new residence building known as the Quad, set to open next fall.
Relative to other universities, York offers proportionately fewer on-campus student housing beds for its large student population, according to the York University Development Corporation.
Moreover, occupancy rates have reached 98 per cent for Keele undergraduate residences, 92 per cent for Glendon residences and 97 per cent for York apartments. Alarmingly, 100 per cent occupancy rates are reported at Founders Residence during the peak enrolment sessions of the York University English Language Institute, according to a Board of Governors report.
Campus Suites Inc. and Forum Equity Partners Inc. are in charge of developing and maintaining the Quad project.
By design, the residence will feature two buildings, housing 812 residents and multiple commercial establishments and food vendors.
It will also feature amenities such as fitness centres, community kitchens, study rooms and private courtyards, including a 24/7 on-site maintenance system, according to Henry Morton, president of Campus Suites.
“The programs that we will run for all of our residents are meant to make the university experience more than just going to class,” says Morton.
“We were motivated to build at York because it is a preeminent school with great and growing programs, all the while having a post-residence housing problem which we think we can effectively solve,” adds Morton.
While Morton does not expect first year students to be Quad’s primary audience, he is hopeful that students will transition there during their subsequent years.
“We feel that residents can now live pedestrian to campus in top-notch housing and then travel to the rest of the city. This makes their living learning experience an optimal one rather than spending as much time as many do in their cars or on the subway,” explains Morton.
Gary Brewer, vice-president of Finance and Administration, believes Quad will deliver high quality new housing to York students.
“The Quad student housing community is part of our broader housing strategy of reinvesting in our existing residences and working with experienced private firms to deliver new beds,” he says.
A portion of beds in the Quad housing will offer affordable housing to students.
“Those student residents that benefit from the affordable housing provision will have access to all of the amenities, programs and services that are available to all residents of the Quad. There will be no visible means of identifying affordable student beds or residents that benefit from affordable housing,” reads a 2014 housing report on the Quad.
According to the York University Secondary Plan, it is proposed that one-bedroom affordable student housing beds be offered to tenants at price similar to comparable Passy Garden suites.
“The benchmark to determine affordable housing rates for Quad was established in a consultative process with the City of Toronto as part of their affordability requirements. They will be based on OSAP considerations and as a result, foreign students will not be eligible for these units,” clarifies Morton.
Second-year communications studies student Shubha Kaushik says she would consider living at Quad.
“I lived on campus in my first year and it was very convenient and tension-free. Seeing as it follows the same workings as the Passy Garden suite, I would not have to worry about finding a place to live during the winter and summer break, which I had to deal with when living in my previous residence,” she says.
“As compared to living in the Village, which is just as accessible to campus as the Quad, it is definitely something I would have to think twice about. In terms of food accessibility, having more options is always exciting but it does not seem healthy to rely on in the long run,” she adds.
