Posted on Nov. 5: Board of Governors meeting highlights

Highlights from the Oct. 31 Board of Governors meeting

Health Sciences budget increases $10.5M

Design changes to McMaster's Health Sciences expansion will require an additional $10.5 million, bringing the project to $71 million.

Approved by McMaster's Board of Governors, the changes will accommodate additional classroom seating on the first and third level of the building to meet projected increased student numbers.

As a result, level one will now accommodate 1,700 seats, instead of 800 planned in the initial project design. There is also an expansion to the classrooms on level three for the health sciences educational programs.

Funding sources will include $4 million in SuperBuild funds, $16.6 million in research funding, $8.7 million from the Hamilton Health Sciences Hospital contribution and $41.7 from the University.

The five-storey building will be constructed on the north of the existing east wing of the McMaster University Medical Centre and east of the Life Sciences Building. The building will house lecture theatres, hospital space, educational program space and research space and laboratories.

Parking structure on hold

McMaster's Board of Governors has put the brakes on plans for a parking garage.

But the project will be put back into drive once the Planning and Building Committee examines other options for the structure planned for Zone 3 by Cootes Paradise.

In May, the committee considered changes to the proposed five-level parking structure in order to make it less obtrusive. As a result, the cost for the structure has risen to $11.5 million from $9 million.

These changes included a realignment of the structure into a lazy l' shape to follow the curve of Cootes Drive. The addition of a curtain wall consisting of glazing to improve the exterior appearance and improvements to the site landscaping to minimize the exposure along Cootes Drive were also approved.

Commonwealth Games site visit

McMaster is a key partner in a bid by Hamilton to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

If successful, the games, scheduled for July 15 to 25, 2010, would bring new facilities to the University, including a new aquatic centre, stadium and multi-sportsplex. McMaster would also host the Athletes Village.

The Commonwealth Games Federation will make a site visit to McMaster on Dec. 14, and will announce its decision on Dec. 16. If Hamilton is chosen as the Canadian site, it will go up against international bidders in New Delhi and Singapore, says President George. The next Games will be held in Melbourne, Australia in 2006.

The Commonwealth Games Foundation's selection of the host country for the Games will be announced Nov. 3, 2003.