by Barbara Black

A public meeting will be held this Saturday morning to provide information to residents in the Loyola area about Concordia’s plans to build a new science complex on the west-end campus.

Rector Frederick Lowy has suggested that Concordia staff who live in the Loyola area might like to attend.

City councillor Jeremy Searle, who supports the project, has been instrumental in calling the meeting to address any possible concerns by residents of the quiet residential neighbourhood.
These may concern the route of trucks and workers, available parking, the activities of nearby St. Ignatius Loyola church, noise levels, and even customary dog runs.

The meeting will be chaired by Dennis Murphy, Executive Director of Communications. Vice-Rector Services Michael Di Grappa will speak, as will an architect from the consortium Marosi Troy/Jodoin Lamarre Pratte/Cardinal Hardy and Associates, who can explain some of the details of the building’s design.

It is expected that ground will be broken this spring or summer for the science complex, which will be a long, low building running parallel to West Broadway St.

It will house Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physics, Psychology, Exercise Science, and the Science College, as well as the Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology and the Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics.

The Urban Development Commission will hold a hearing to look at plans for the Loyola campus on March 7 at Montreal City Hall, starting at 7 p.m.

This is part of the normal process regarding municipal approval for the university’s master space plan as it applies to the new science complex, athletics complex, performing arts pavilion and new residence. The science building is the first phase of that long-term plan.
At the end of April, a similar hearing will be held for the space plan as it relates to the downtown campus.

The information session on building plans for the Loyola Campus takes place 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, in the Bryan Building, 3475 West Broadway St., Room 207.