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Building for the Future 

The new MacEwan landmark

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The official ground breaking happened in May and the corner of 109th Street and 105th Avenue is already bustling with orange-vested crews, heavy construction equipment and commotion. However, it is more, much more, than a big construction site. 

The $190 million MacEwan School of Business building, scheduled for a 2027 completion, is not only a positive for the growth and enrollment of MacEwan University, it is also a dynamic boost for Edmonton’s downtown. 

For the university, the new building is a reflection of MacEwan’s exceptional regional, provincial, national and global reputation and the inevitable and much-needed expansion for more space to accommodate surging enrollment. 

“A new building for the School of Business has long been an aspiration for MacEwan,” explains Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor. “Our enrolment and demand for business programming has been increasing and industry is expressing a need for our graduates. 

“The vision was that the MacEwan campus would continue to meet the needs of students and the demands of industry in our programming. The only way that could be accomplished was through growth in our physical infrastructure. It is important to note that the new building is not just about the School of Business. The benefits of the project will impact the entire university.” 

City officials and the Edmonton business community underscore that it will also be a vital win-win for Edmonton and downtown business. 

There is positivity and consensus that, for Edmonton’s downtown to thrive, it needs people living, working and playing there. Not only will the city get the skilled, job-ready workforce it needs, the building will also draw the critical mass of people the city’s core needs to grow economically, socially and culturally.  

While the primary MacEwan Teaching Greatness vision is unconditionally focused on delivering an exceptional quality of education, the practical reality is that post-secondary education is also a business, and enrollment numbers are revenue and key factors in the business of education. 

“MacEwan is at full capacity and many of our classrooms are programmed in the evenings and weekends,” she admits. “We have over 20,000 people coming onto the MacEwan campus on an average day, during our peak sessions from September to April. The new School of Business will provide us capacity to grow by an additional 7,500 new spaces, which is an ambitious tipping point to achieving our growth target of 30,000 students by 2030.” 

For now, the new building is a massive work in progress. By design and functionality, it will be exciting and impressive. Early feedback and reactions to the planning details underscore innovation, forward thinking and sustainability.  

According to Peter Osborne, partner at GEC Architecture, “The 376,000-square-foot facility will be seven stories high, featuring a bold, contemporary façade that embodies the university’s energy, drive and vision. It will add room for 7,500 more students. The building will be interconnected by a seven-storey atrium that spans the entire length, with a central bridge and gathering hub creating spaces for students and staff. There will also be a partial mezzanine on level one, a single level of underground parking and diverse spaces, including event venues, a full-service cafe and a catering kitchen.” 

He notes that classroom and academic spaces were developed to provide flexibility to accommodate asynchronous, synchronous and active learning classroom layouts and support multiple teaching pedagogies. Allocation for sit/stand and barrier-free desks will provide access and inclusion for all students. 

Osborne highlights some other unique features. “The lower three floors are designed to engage visually and physically with the central social street and animate the space, year-round. The upper floors feature interconnected floor spaces, allowing for informal circulation and creating a vertical campus that can adapt to future needs.” 

The tremendously complex construction is being done by Ledcor Construction. With its distinguished 75-year track record for delivering successful building projects in Edmonton, Ledcor has been a key player in Alberta construction. The MacEwan University School of Business is an important project which will not only expand the campus but also significantly enhance the downtown community. 

Mike Roper, vice president of construction with Ledcor, explains that innovation, forward thinking and sustainability are vital priorities as construction continues on MacEwan’s new building. 

“A key consideration during the planning was the constrained nature of the site, with campus buildings and the busy 109th street bordering the project area. The construction schedule and site logistics were designed to minimize impacts to staff, students and commuters.” 

Roper cites innovative and sustainable design aspects, such as solar panels on the roof and solar shades on the east and west sides of the building to reduce heat gain. The exterior building walls will also have a rotated brick façade, which will create a unique look for the building and also tie back to the heritage of the original campus. 

“In addition to the other construction planning considerations,” he notes, “a raised pedestrian walkway will connect the new School of Business to an operating building and ensuring minimal disruption will be a priority.” 

Although the seven-storey new building will be a dazzling new Edmonton landmark, the state-of-the-art focus will be about students. The simple bottom line is that MacEwan needs more space! 

“There are primary factors for MacEwan’s enrolment growth,” notes Dr. Richard Perlow, dean of MacEwan’s School of Business. “Students are realizing the outstanding experience provided by MacEwan in general, and the business school in particular, because we offer the same opportunities of larger institutions but in a more personalized setting. 

“Also, Alberta’s primary and secondary school population growth translates into a significant increase in the number of students pursuing a post-secondary education. This year we had over 4,000 business students, and those numbers will increase next year. 

“It is important that we keep pace with the growing enrollment,” Perlow says. “The new building will increase the opportunity for students to develop collaborative and hands-on skills in the smaller class sizes that MacEwan offers.”  

In addition to the university dynamically building for the future and boosting educational opportunities and capacity for its growing enrollment, making the new building happen has been, and continues to be, a challenging business plan, particularly in terms of fund raising and the capital. 

John Day, the prominent business leader and respected commercial real estate developer, is co-chair of the MacEwan Means Business Capital Campaign.  

“There is a tremendous amount of interest and support from the business community for this building,” he says with enthusiasm. “We have a $25 million fundraising goal. We are also grateful for Alberta’s $125 million support over the next four years. It is so gratifying; the project is a unique coming together of so many partners and organizations.” 

He is also practical and realistic about the value and the potent business of “branding,” even for something as massive, although not commercial, as the new MacEwan building. 

“Right now, we’re working with many members of industry to explore naming rights,” Day says. “It’s one of the very few university capital projects where both the name of a building and the Business School is available for naming for a potential donor.” 

It’s unanimous. The state-of-the-art and innovative new building will be great for MacEwan students and staff and for Edmonton’s downtown.

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