The backhoe's key is in the ignition as the countdown begins on the second of five new student residence buildings at Quest University.
Since the school's beginning almost six years ago, the university's plan outlines five residential units wrapping around the hillside, west of the academic complex. The first building is framed, with the roof underway, said David Helfand, Quest's president. School officials anticipate breaking ground on the second within two months, he said.
The university currently leases four buildings for student housing, Helfand said. When the university opened, there wasn't enough resources to build everything at once, he noted. That's rapidly changing, with the leased apartments full.
We need more beds, Helfand said.
Applications to Quest are up 65 per cent over last year, he said. The school has already admitted 205 new students, although some applicants may pick different universities as their final choice, Helfand notes. Of those students, 96 are Canadian, 82 are American and 27 are from outside North America.
Quest officials aim to hit 510 students for the 2013-'14 school year, boosting its head count by 90 pupils from this year.
My biggest concern now is we will go over, Helfand said.
The new $9-million complex will provide rooms for approximately 108 students. The buildings are terraced, standing two storeys at the top of the hill and four at the bottom. They're connected to each other and the campus by pedestrian walkways, with outdoor social spaces scattered along the pathway.
The first of the new buildings is anticipated to be open to students by this coming September, with the second building complete for the following September, Helfand said.
