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University of New Brunswick breaks ground on new residence

Author: UNB Newsroom

Posted on Nov 8, 2019

Category: UNB Saint John

A new residence will open its doors on UNB Saint John’s campus next fall.

The new 40,000-sq.ft building will have 104 beds in adjoining rooms and is the first geothermal heated and cooled residence at UNB.

A ground breaking ceremony was held on Friday, Nov. 8, onsite to commemorate this new building, yet to be named. The building is expected to be ready to welcome students by September 2020.

“We are thrilled to offer more students on our Saint John campus an opportunity to live in a new, environmentally designed residence. The design and development of this new residence responds to the current needs and values of our students and our university. It’s modern, private and environmentally responsible,” said Dr. Paul Mazerolle, president and vice-chancellor of UNB.

“It embodies the future-oriented mindset of our university, and it will enable us to showcase the many great things that are happening at UNB.”

The Saint John campus currently has two residences on its campus – Sir James Dunn and Dr. Colin B. Mackay. Both are at capacity with students from all corners of the world and there is a waiting list for any spot that may become available.

“This is just the start of the great things happening on our campus,” said Dr. Petra Hauf, vice-president Saint John. “This new residence will add to the beauty of our campus. More importantly, it will build upon the diverse community foundation we already have.”

“UNB Saint John is a critical component of our region’s growth agenda. The expansion of our beautiful campus means more services available to students and increases our ability to retain graduates,” said Don Darling, mayor of the City of Saint John. “Saint John needs strong community partners like UNB Saint John in order to reach its full potential. Today’s ground breaking serves as another big step forward for our region.”

“The SRC, and all students at UNB Saint John, are very excited to see this new development on campus, another sign of the growth of our campus,” said Patrick Hickey, president of the Students’ Representative Council.

“This will help increase the size of our student body, provide more opportunities on campus, and improve campus community engagement. We are excited to welcome more new residence students than ever before to UNB Saint John next year."

Media contact: Heather Campbell

Photos available upon request