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in this newsletter |
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Partners include federal and provincial governments Environmental Reserve study moves ahead |
The Waterloo area now has another feather in its cap. The world-class, innovative UW Research & Technology Park is in full flight and will be home to over 1.2 million square feet of space for technology related companies.
Allan Rock, Canada’s Industry Minister, said at the groundbreaking in June: “I am pleased that the Government of Canada’s $13.4 million investment in the University of Waterloo’s Research & Technology Park will encourage leading-edge research and commercialization of that new knowledge.”
“This is an historic day for the University of Waterloo as we look toward the future of our institution and our country,” said David Johnston, UW president. “It’s the fulfillment of a wonderful vision for our community’s leaders.”
A six-way public/private partnership is behind the huge endeavour. The partnership includes the university, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, the City of Waterloo, the federal and provincial governments, Communitech, and Canada’s Technology Triangle. Both the federal and provincial governments paved the way for a launch when they contributed $13.4 million each to the project earlier this year. Grading of the site has been completed and road construction and servicing are now underway.
As well, the proposed accelerator centre is entering the planning stage. The project is supported by $4.5 million in government funding. The 21,000-square-foot accelerator centre will be constructed to provide a home for small start-ups, nurturing these embryonic companies through their first years of growth.
Sybase Inc. has also given the park added impetus when the company announced its iAnywhere Solutions division would be the first anchor tenant with a 100,000-square-foot facility. This high-tech company is the market-leading provider of mobile and wireless solutions that enable anywhere, anytime access to enterprise information.
One of the uniquely attractive features of the Research & Technology Park is that it borders an extensive environmental reserve that cuts across the University of Waterloo north campus. The reserve includes Columbia Lake and Laurel Creek, habitat to a great variety of wildlife, migratory birds and marsh wetland. Laurel Creek meanders south through the reserve through a mixture of old field, thicket, open fields, woodland and wetland.
CH2M-Hill has been awarded a contract to undertake a $230,000 environmental assessment of the health of the reserve. The study, expected to be complete next year, will examine which types of mitigating measures may be needed to improve the overall quality of the reserve.
Among the study’s other considerations: preferred rehabilitation options for Columbia Lake and the watercourse; location of trails; enhancement of green space; quantity and quality of vegetation along Laurel Creek; in stream water quality; warm water sport fish environment; and identifying and protecting the wetland functions.
Sybase Inc., which is the first anchor tenant in the R&T Park, has started detailed planning for a 100,000-square-foot facility in the UW Research & Technology Park. The seven-acre site will house a state-of-the-art building.
A team of experts, including a developer and architects, has been planning the new hi-tech building. The developer is bringing together architects, space planners, landscape architects, mechanical engineers, structural engineers and many others to work on plans and bring them to completion.
Construction is expected to begin soon with occupancy in early 2004.
Dozens of pieces of heavy equipment have been moving millions of yards of earth for many months on the new UW R&T Park north campus site under the leadership of Stantec Consulting — the consulting engineers for the project. The job is now complete, reports Tim Anderson of the City of Waterloo.
As well, the rough dimensions of the main landmarks and contours have been outlined. This includes a “Great Circle” of 50 metres in diameter, which will form a traffic circle hub in the first phase of the park project. The Great Circle is planned to be a focal point of the park and will act as a traffic hub.
A $3.5 million contract for the Phase 1 construction of roads and underground services has been approved and awarded to successful bidder Sierra Construction Ltd. Sierra is based in Woodstock, Ont., and has considerable experience in road and servicing projects.
The work on Phase 1 of the UW Research & Technology Park began on September 25. The servicing phase will see the installation of storm, water and sanitary services, plus laying of electrical wiring and ducting for telephone and computer infrastructure, and constructs — of the roads, curbs, pathways, sidewalks and boulevards. Included in the construction is redevelopment of the main entrance to the North Campus site of the R&T Park from Columbia Street West which is currently well under way.
New signs have been installed to acknowledge the partnership and describe the scope of the Research & Technology Park.
They include SuperBuild signage, which features the partners involved in the project. This has been installed at the Columbia Street north campus entrance to the Park.
As well, an additional sign has been created which shows the Park’s dimensions and concept for development. The consulting engineers — Stantec Consulting Inc. — have prepared the sign.
The firm Hammer Siler George Associates has been awarded a contract to develop a marketing and communications strategy for the UW Research & Technology Park.
The Chicago-based firm will work with HBS/High Road Communications of Toronto in determining an optimum approach for marketing the new park, one of the largest such ventures in North America. Similar projects include University of Massachusetts Medical Park; Illinois Technology Centre; Dallas Southwestern Medical Centre; New York University Incubator and Research Building and University of Arizona.
HSG Associates, led by senior partner Vernon George, has a long and successful track record of working particularly with university-affiliated research and technology parks in the U.S. The company proposes to carry out a five-step plan, which will identify a marketing approach for UW R&T Park. This will include an assessment of the technology sector and growth potential, plus the development of image and branding draft plans.
The UW Research & Technology Park’s growth from groundbreaking to a fully developed innovative catalyst of new knowledge and growth for the community is being guided by the Waterloo R&T Park Advisory Committee, chaired by Regional Municipality of Waterloo CAO Gerry Thompson, and vice-chaired by the CAO of the City of Waterloo.
Members include:
In addition to the Advisory Committee, which advises and reports to the Buildings and Properties Committee of the University (a committee of the UW Board of Governors), there are two other committees leading the Park’s development: the Infrastructure Project Team chaired by Bill Brodribb, Director, Design and Construction, Waterloo Region, and the R&T Park Marketing Committee, chaired by Paul Eichinger, Director, Economic Development, City of Waterloo.
For more information about this exciting new venture contact:
Dennis Huber, VP Administration & Finance, University of Waterloo
519) 888-4567, ext. 6828; dhuber@uwaterloo.ca
Paul Eichinger, Director of Economic Development, City of Waterloo
519) 747-8748; PEichinger@city.waterloo.on.ca
Greg Barratt; President, Communitech Association
(519) 888-9944; greg@communitech.org