Ey ET SE a eS as aE IESE RE COE 9 FR, IN entiaiinten sie haat aeiin mahed PT ESE OE Ee Ie! Se i i ae eo oe nn FF « ; Wednesday, January 4, 1984. re00e WAS would have to be self-sup- porting in all the amenities that are offered at the city site. It is presently planned to build a theatre directly into the McBride building, with the possibilit7 of a pub to be studied. The next major problem the college faces is parking facilities. The downtown site will provide 600 under- ground stalls, to service the approximately 8,000 dents they expect to attend the college.” ~ However, BCDC feels as the superior public transit system which services the downtown, as compared to the service that presently services the McBride area, make the necessity of more free parking space unwar- rented. There will be provi- sions for extra parking, but they will be pay facilities. The McBride site has allo- cated approximately 10 acres of land for the build- ing of 1200 parking stalls. No inquiries have been made into B.C. Hydro’s area, make the necessity of more free parking space unwarrented. There will be provisions for extra parking; but they will be pay facili- ties. The McBride site has allo- cated approximately 10 acres of land for the build- ing of 1200 parking stalls. No inquiries have been made into B.C. Hydro’s will- ingness to reroute buses to service a new campus at the McBride site. A very. important aspect of the move is whether the college can maintain a u- nique image should it make the downtown move; and will the intimacy of college and business create a desir- stu- § - "THE QTHER: PRESS the best e Former Douglas College principal, George Wooton, mulls - over the B.C. Developement Corporation’s proposal to move the college from McBride to downtown New Westminster. able atmosphere. The GBA report says, “The downtown site will increase the college’s visa- bility in the community, increase the public’s aware- ness of its’ presence, its operations, its staff and stu- dents, thereby exposing it to a more informed and there- fore more appreciative pub- lic.’’ The report also went on to say that the GBA felt the college atmosphere would be enriched by the down- town setting and the pedest- rian and college malls that are to be built. Another major opportuni- ty of the downtown site, according to the report, is the chance for students to get practical experience working in the surrounding business community. _The report also says that conflict between the com- mercial community and that of the college will not be great, because they are both interdependant of each other. The education milieu will depend on the increased services of a healthy com- mercial community, while the shop owners will be depending on the majority of their income from the college community. One thing is_ certain, though, if Douglas College decides to locate on the McBride site (killing the redevelopment plan for the city centre) the community will hold Douglas College responsible for this setback and not look favorably on the college in the future. Although no formal re- lease has been made as to how much it will cost to build a campus on either of f a moment. f would be affected, The proposed McBride site had more land space, and a much more attractive setting for the college, but by not choosing the downtown site the college would put itself into an unfavourable light with New Westminster city council and the provincial government. these sites, the GBA report states that the cost of a downtown site would not exceed the cost of the McBride site, and possibly be less because of the shared facilities with the city. The funding for the pro- ject is also in limbo for the However, a few |weeks ago Brahm Wiesman released a report recommen- ‘ding $23 million be spent by the government on reloca- ting Douglas College to |\downtown New Westmin- ister. The report has not been accepted as govern- ment policy, but rumor has jit that the education depart- iment is very warm towards its recommendations. The greatest inadequacy of the Royal Avenue site is ‘he limited area for recre- ‘ation purposes. No land will be available for the con- struction. of any type of fields or tracks. There will be.the possibility of a gym facility for such sports as gymnastics, basketball, etc. with possibly tennis courts and a jogging track being built on the roof of the college building. The nearest other facility will be the YMCA on 6th near Royal. The YMCA of- fers a 25 metre pool, 2 gym- nasiums and seven _ recre- ation rooms. The McBride site, on the other hand, has the land available to construct on the site a 440 metre track en- closing a soccer field. A serparate rugger or football field, and 8 tennis courts. Within a reasonable travel- ling distance is the Canada Games pool, curling § rink and all the facilities of the Queens Park area. A diagram drawn up b GBA consultants shows. the approximate walking time from both sites to the amen- ities. It is, at best, a 15-20 minute walk to all the facili- ties from the Royal Avenue site, while only 5 minutes for the McBride site. Approximately 150-175 students would be directly affected by this longer tra- velling time to the facilities, said the GBA report. While in the Arts Depart- ment approximately 300 mu- sic and drama _ students if the McBride site is chosen, by the distance they would be from the proposed new per- forming arts centre. However, if the campus locates on the McBride site, the college plans to con- struct its own theatre, and therefore would not be de- Page5 hoice made? pendant on the. downtown performing arts centre. ae Student housing, has been totally i®nored Student housing, the most important aspect of the move, was not studied at all by GBA consultants. And only through questioning of the project director Bob McIntyre did the Other Press find out anything per- taining to student housing. The redevelopment plan — proposes no low-cost hous- ing, to rental units to be constructed in the project, no dormitories to be built and no student housing. At present, the area to be revamped offers low-cost housing not only to. stu- dents, but to those on fixed incomes as well. Should . this redevelop- ment scheme go through, these areas will be gone, leaving no living accomoda- tions within the reach of the students strapped financial resources, not to mention those who are on old-age pension and welfare. The only alternative to the student would be to move to the out-lying areas such as Surrey, Richmond, and Co- quitlam, but it would mean living in these areas and commuting to New West- minster to attend .college when there is a campus in your own community. That leaves only students with parents who can afford the dwellings in the devel- opment, and the mature student who has managed to earn a hundred thousand dollars, the opportunity to live in the community where he attends college. While, on one hand, the developers are saying they want Douglas College down- town to relieve it of their community segregated im- age, on the othr hand, once they set the college located downtown they wish to cre- ate an atmosphere having only those who are affluent living in the immediate vici- nity to support the complex, and project the proper i- mage. What is happening to the ‘community’ in community college? What is happening to the idea to give those less affluent the opportunity for a higher education.