Posted on Nov. 14: McMaster officially opens Downtown Centre

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/downtown_opening_crop.jpg” caption=”Downtown Centre opens”]McMaster University officially opened the doors to its campus expansion in Hamilton's downtown core today.

President Peter George welcomed the Honourable James Bartleman, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, and Hamilton Mayor Bob Wade to conduct the official opening of the McMaster University Downtown Centre. Approximately 200 people attended the event including McMaster staff and faculty, representatives from the City of Hamilton, local elected officials and the Hamilton community.

In 2001 Hamilton-Wentworth regional council agreed to lease the former Wentworth County courthouse to McMaster for a 10-year period, as a leadership gift to the Changing Tomorrow Today campaign.

The former courthouse, now renamed the McMaster University Downtown Centre, houses 17 administrative departments and offices including the Centre for Continuing Education.

“The Downtown Centre project is a win-win initiative for the City of Hamilton and McMaster,” said McMaster President Peter George. “Use of the former courthouse provides McMaster with much needed space to expand our growing campus. There are 200 McMaster employees
travelling to the Downtown Centre daily and thousands of people per year coming into the downtown core for continuing education programs. We are pleased that our partnership with the city allowed the McMaster University Downtown Centre to become a reality and we are proud to be part of downtown Hamilton.”

“The opening of the Downtown Centre marks the success of a unique partnership between the City of Hamilton and McMaster University,” said Mayor Bob Wade. “I appreciate the valuable contribution of the Downtown Partnership to this project by providing the initial inspiration for the development of a downtown University presence. Having a McMaster campus in the city's core generates new life and services that benefit thousands of people. This is one of many valuable contributions that McMaster makes to the Hamilton community. I look forward to continuing our partnership through innovative projects that will continue to benefit McMaster, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton community.”

In the first year of operation in the Downtown Centre, the Centre for Continuing Education has increased its registrations for certificate and diploma courses by 25 per cent. It is also introducing
new programs for private and public sector organizations in corporate management training.

Photo caption: From left, McMaster President Peter George, James Bartleman, lieutenant-governor of Ontario, and Hamilton mayor Bob Wade cut a ribbon to officially mark the opening of the McMaster University Downtown Centre. Photo credit: Ron Scheffler.