NSCC Marconi campus readies for move to downtown Sydney
A relocated campus has long been seen as potential economic driver for the city's urban core
The province is moving ahead with plans to move the Marconi campus of the Nova Scotia Community College to downtown Sydney, from its current location on the Sydney-Glace Bay highway.
Speaking in Sydney on Friday, Premier Stephen McNeil said that a request for proposal has been issued to study the best way to carry out the relocation.
The three-phase study will examine future uses of the current campus, identify potential building sites, and determine estimated costs and construction options.
"A downtown campus will be an economic driver, bringing more energy to the downtown," the premier told a large crowd assembled at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion on Sydney's waterfront.
"This study will determine how we can make this shift in the best way possible for students, faculty and the community."
NSCC's Marconi current campus has about 1,100 full- and part-time students.
It offers 37 diploma courses in such fields as tourism, culinary skills, business administration, nursing and engineering technician, as well as traditional trades such as carpentry, electrical and plumbing.
NSCC president Don Bureaux said he was looking forward to the opportunity to build a new campus "from the ground up," tailoring it to the needs of the community and its students. He said the new campus's programming would also be crafted to meet "the economic and social needs" of the region.
"We can co-create something very special — quite frankly, something very magical — to make sure that our students learn in ways that help the community the most," Bureaux said.
The successful consultant is expected to begin work in February, starting with a 12-month mandate.