New residences at McMaster University aim to ease student-housing crunch

• By Shawna Connelly
• Posted Monday, Mar 06, 2023 9:50 am

New residences at McMaster University aim to ease student-housing crunch

Two new McMaster University student residences are going to “turn downtown Hamilton on its ear,” says the architect involved in the projects.

“In a town that hasn’t had a lot of development in the core, this changes the game from the point of view of design quality,” says Donald Schmitt, principal of Diamond Schmitt Architects in Toronto, which has designed multiple university hubs, including University of Toronto’s Spadina-Sussex student residence, currently under construction.

The $100-million, 30-storey building at 10 Bay St., set to open this fall, is a purpose-built academic hub that will be home to more than 600 graduate students and their families.

The residence, which features one- and two-bedroom and studio apartments, is steps from the Art Gallery of Hamilton, City Hall and McMaster’s new David Braley Health Sciences Centre.

Amenities in the graduate residence include a fitness centre, a music room, a movie theatre, green roofs, lounge areas, communal kitchens and a rooftop playground.

A second residence for undergrads, Lincoln Alexander Hall, is scheduled to open in 2026. The developer for both projects, which will have LEED Gold Certification, is Toronto-based...[READ MORE]