Fanshawe College seeks $3M from City of London for Innovation Village project

Fanshawe College is asking for $3 million in capital grants from the City of London for its upcoming Innovation Village project.

A proposal headed to the strategic priorities and policy committee on Monday indicates that the municipal funding would help cover construction costs over the next four years.

The money would be doled out in annual instalments of $750,000, awarded in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, according to the proposal.

“We think that we’re a great partner with the city, and with the region, we’re an economic driver,” said Devlin, explaining why the school is approaching the city for funding.

“The village has major spaces, high-performance learning labs, cutting-edge equipment that companies and organizations can access by working with students and faculty.”

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The Fanshawe request would have the city cover about five per cent of the bill for the $58-million project.

“The province and the federal government, we’ve asked for more, about 10 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively,” Devlin said.

The college’s proposal comes equipped with dozens of letters showing support for the municipal investment, including praise from the City of St. Thomas, the London Chamber of Commerce and Sun Life Digital Transformation Office.

But one letter, sent at a later date, has a different sentiment.

The aforementioned letter to city hall comes from Darryl Bedford, president of Fanshawe’s faculty union OPSEU Local 110.

“We think that Fanshawe is worthy of support, however, I think the city should go through its own deliberations and determine whether or not this project should be funded,” Bedford said, adding that he has concerns about the operating costs of the upcoming project.

“You can build a nice building and you can have a facility, but how will it be staffed? Who’s going to work in it? Are you going to be able to maintain the equipment that’s there? Is it going to create good jobs for the city?”

Instead, Bedford told Global News Radio 980 CFPL the city should consider other priorities regarding Fanshawe College.

“One, develop and implement a public-sector job strategy and two, lobby and bring the government of Ontario to the table in a sustained way,” Bedford said.

“The reason why the government of Ontario needs to be brought in is that it’s the province that provides the operating funding for colleges.”

If approved, the City of London grant would be the latest in municipal funding handed out to Fanshawe College.

The most recent city cash was awarded in 2011 through an economic development grant, giving Fanshawe $29 million to help with a pair buildings that bolstered the college’s downtown campus.

Innovation Village is expected to create eight permanent full-time positions upon its completion, along with 70 temporary jobs throughout the four-year construction.

The strategic priorities and policy committee will discuss the matter on Monday afternoon.