Brandon Hall Updates - Oct 22

The University confirmed it had secured enough hotel and off-campus Residence accommodations to house displaced students.

There are three housing options:

1. Remain in Residence System and Relocate to Off Campus Interim Housing
2. Temporary Withdrawal from Residence System and Return to Campus when student's space in Residence is ready
3. Withdraw from Residence

Students from Brandon Hall have each received an email outlining their housing options. It is vitally important that they go to the link in the email where they may select and confirm their choice. The University cannot make a housing match for students unless this online form is completed.

Students have until Thursday at 12:00 noon to make their housing option choice known. Once this is done, those choosing to remain in the Residence system will be matched to a room that has been secured by the University. Students will learn the location of their housing assignment Friday.

Students can access the online firm by visiting https://resapp.mcmaster.ca/

Read more via The Daily News

Hey Chad,

I heard news that Bob Bratina is in talks with McMaster about how to rectify this situation. Do you know if there is any possibility the new Terraces on King building will become a new McMaster residence downtown?

There is quite a bit of discussion about this on a number of Hamilton forums, and the general concensus is that it would be an excellent idea, benefiting both McMaster and the city of Hamilton (especially the downtown core).

Thanks,
Chris

Hey Chris, I think I saw your posts about this over on SkyscraperPage. Such a thing has been proposed before (a downtown residence), but contrary to the opinions of Mac "outsiders" (har har) that believe the students want this and Mac is somehow standing in the way, I've gotta tell you - they probably don't. Given the option to live on campus or in Westdale, most really wouldn't prefer to live farther away in downtown.

I know the people on that forum are urban-life evangelists, but sometimes reality just sort of has to be applied. First off, if such a downtown residence was going to happen, it'd never go over well with first years - they overwhelmingly want to be on campus for the convenience and all the amenities. So, even if it was geared towards upper years, it's probably not going to be cheaper than other options. If a building like the Terraces on King was actually bought and run by the university, they'd likely be charging at least the same sort of rates for it as they do for the suite-style residence on campus (Keyes), which is by far the most expensive (see here: http://housing.mcmaster.ca/Residence...ions/Fees.html). If it was privately owned, perhaps the prices would be more competitive, but can it beat the typical $400 a month for a room in a student house in Westdale?

I think it all comes down to the fact that a downtown residence may be close to everything you need to live, but it just isn't close enough to campus to win students over. If the LRT ever gets built that equation may change, but that'd have to be reevaluated in a few years' time. On top of that, there's a pretty big sense amongst students (deserved or not) that downtown is pretty sketchy, so while it would serve the purposes of those pushing for urban renewal, I get the sense that it really wouldn't serve students all that well.

I agree with many of your points, and that most students would rather live closer to campus. I also know that there are many who would live farther away from campus in order to save some money.

I always try to stay realistic , but sometimes I get overly optimistic when it comes to the downtown core. I think there could be a market for student housing downtown, but it definitely needs more research and is not something that can just be quickly thrown together.

I heard lots of talk about a Grad residence near Mac, but not a downtown residence aimed at undergraduates (ie 1st years). As mentioned by Cippi, students want convenience of living on campus when they move into res, and housing in Westdale around McMaster is very competitively priced. Unless there are really nice suites being made downtown that are under $350/mo util's included and there is an HSR bus stop right outside the front entrance, I'm not sure how appealing it would be. West Village Condos has done pretty well being a condo/apartment style building that is off campus, but it is still in close proximity and in walking distance.

However, that said, I would LOVE to see the downtown core become a thriving area for students and breath more life into the restaurants, stores, and attractions our city has to offer. Transportation would be a key thing in order to help the distance issue. Shuttles or a bus stop onto the premisis would be a must, in my opinion.