Nicole Feenstra takes a closer look at what's making news on campus.  This week we find out what Sheldon Levy has in store for Ryerson with his Master Plan.

Diana Bacci Special to the Ryersonian

Ryerson president Sheldon Levy (left) and Toronto Mayor David Miller point to a display outlining the 20 year Master Plan.

You’ve heard these ominous, two words thrown around campus for a while now. 

Ryerson president Sheldon Levy has used them, campus media has had a field day over them.  These two words are so newsworthy that the Toronto Star’s Christopher Hume wrote an article on them for the daily major.

Yes, the words “Master Plan” have barged into the lives of all us Ryerson students, but don’t let the menacing project title scare you off.  The Master Plan actually paints a picture that will have Ryerson, or 'RU', as we have been dubbed by 'the Plan', sitting pretty in the future.

Levy has a 20 year plan that will see the ol’ beaut get a much needed makeover – with regards to both reputation and physical dynamic. He announced his plan in March, but picked his super team to get the renovations rolling on Oct. 31. Included is award-winning architect Bruce Kuwabara of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects.

“The Ryerson of the future will be seen as a destination for people who want to study and live here,” Levy said in Hume's article. “This is about community. And about design excellence.”

There are actually specific areas Levy wants to improve. These are laid out on the Master Plan website.

One is to work out a balance between the school and the city of Toronto. 

The centre of our school – the Quad between Kerr Hall – isn’t the centre anymore as the boundaries of campus have become jagged with the new Ryerson business school popping up way over on Dundas and Bay streets. Levy wants to create a recognizable, solid perimeter for the school and open up the Quad by renovating the ancient Kerr Hall building.

Giving Rye some kind of identity in this messy, downtown jungle is essential for the future.  Do we want to be known as the school behind Zanzibar and Sam the Record Man forever?

“Ryerson is at the heart of Toronto,” Toronto mayor David Miller told the Ryersonian. “I believe [the plan] is going to rejuvenate downtown. This will work, and this truly will help build a better Toronto.”

Let’s hope that if he’s re-elected, Miller maintains this sort of interest in the campus and its position in the downtown core of the city.

Next, Levy wants to end the people/car war that students and faculty deal with every day.  Maybe we can finally stop talking about closing Gould Street and actually do it. What a concept. Obviously a downtown campus doesn’t have room to spare, but better parking, pedestrian walkways and free spaces are needed as soon as possible.

“This campus lacks social interaction space and group study space,” Kuwabara said to the Ryersonian. We agree.

One of the architect’s ideas would see Gould turned into a linear piazza complete with coffee shops (more Tim’s on campus?), foliage and other gathering places.

Levy also wants to maximize the space we do have, like vertical and below-grade expansions to get some much needed study space. The idea of creating roof top terraces is also being thrown around.

But that’s not all. Levy has developed an academic component to the Master Plan. He wants larger classrooms and more seminar rooms, plus new labs and research facilities to help take the 'high' out of 'Rye'. Levy hopes this will also draw top-notch profs to Ryerson and keep the students rolling in.

It's not just our brains Levy wants to nurture and keep safe. The next best thing to giving each of us a hug is giving students and staff a campus that’s easier to navigate with signs and walkways to keep every person safe.

So that’s a lot of goodness, right? 

Sure is, except none of us will benefit from it as we (hopefully) won't still be bumming around campus when the Master Plan is realized.