$74 million for Brock projects

The Bold New Brock campaign made significant progress towards its capital fundraising goals in recent weeks, as two separate government funding announcements resulted in a total of $74 million towards new building projects.
On May 22, members of the St. Catharines and Brock communities gathered in front of the Canada Hair Cloth building downtown where it was announced that both the provincial and federal governments will contribute $18 million each to build a new Niagara Centre for the Arts (NCFA).
The NCFA will be located adjacent to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, and will be owned by the City of St. Catharines.
The new NCFA, which is scheduled for completion in 2012, will include an 800-900-seat concert hall that will accommodate various kinds of music. It will also house a smaller dance performance venue, a studio theatre, a film theatre, a recital hall and café.
"This project will be the cornerstone of [City] Council's vision for a revitalized downtown," said St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan. "It will encourage the type of cultural district growth that will be a catalyst for positive downtown and regional development."
Once completed, the NCFA is expected to have an operating budget of $4.5 million per year, with two-thirds of this expected to be met by operating revenues and the remainder from annual contributions from the city and from Brock.
This is a collaborative project that is part of a comprehensive plan for the creation of an 'arts hub' that will revitalize downtown St. Catharines.
The second capital funding announcement came just a few days later on May 25, as once again, members of the Brock community were joined by representatives from the federal government to announce a $38 million contribution towards infrastructure at Brock.
Minister of Industry, Tony Clement, was at Brock to make the official announcement. This money will go towards the development and construction of the Niagara Health and Bioscience Research Complex (NHBRC), which will be located on Brock's main campus.
"Our government's investment provides significant short-term economic stimulus in local communities throughout Ontario, while at the same time strengthening Canada's long term capacity for research and innovation," said Clement.
Brock President, Jack Lightstone, also spoke about the new NHBRC and how it will help Brock to further enhance its status as one of the country's emerging research universities.
"The facility will enhance the University's research capabilities through the creation of new specialized labs equipped with advanced equipment, and will also assist in alleviating our institutions teaching and learning space pressures," he said.
A lack of space at Brock has been a chronic problem, as increased numbers of students are choosing the university each year. The new state-of-the-art facility will be 142,000 square-feet, and will be the new home for about 400 students.
The NHBRC will cost $109 million in total, and is scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2011.
The contribution of $38 million from the federal government will be added to the $33.5 million already contributed by the provincial government in February 2008.