Proposed Western University residence welcome but 'long overdue,' councillor says

A London, Ont. city councillor says he hopes a proposed new student residence from Western University will make it easier for students to find a place to live, and alleviate some of the housing-related issues he's seen in off-campus neighbourhoods.

Ward 6 Coun. Sam Trosow says the proposal, an eight-storey student residence containing 772 bedrooms in 259 suites at Western's Richmond Street entrance, is "long overdue" in keeping up with the university's projected enrolment increases.

"The university's failure to provide adequate housing for students creates hardships, both for the tenants who have to go out into a very predatory rental market and for the residents of the area," he said.

Western projects its full-time student headcount, including affiliated colleges, will hit 47,506 for the 2028-29 school year, compared to 45,768 for 2023-24, and 40,189 for 2019-20. The school had previously set a target of 50,000 students by 2030.

Trosow's ward includes Western's campus as well as nearby neighbourhoods, including the student-heavy Broughdale Avenue. He accuses absentee and corporate landlords of purchasing properties on the street with the aim of overcrowding them with student tenants.

"To have the university build a dormitory really helps absorb some of the housing demand that would otherwise have to be taken up by these houses."

The proposal will go before a meeting of the planning and environment committee on June 11, where members of the public will be able to provide feedback. It comes as the city works toward a pledge of building 47,000 new homes in the city by 2031.

Aimed at undergraduate students, the proposed residence would be located at 1151 and 1163 Richmond St. at University Drive. The site is vacant, save for a beach volleyball court and a former Bank of Montreal building that would be demolished.

It's one of two student residences Western is planning. The universityannounced last April that it was also looking at building a new residence aimed at upper-year and graduate students. Trosow says it'sset to be built near Platt's Lane and Western Road.

The Western-affiliated Huron University College is in the midst of constructing a new student residence. Set to open in September, the residence will house up to 311 students.

CBC News has contacted Western University for comment.

According to a planning and design report submitted to the city, each floor of the Richmond Street residence would include shared study and lounge rooms, while a 350 person dining hall with an outdoor patio would front Richmond Street on the building's main floor.

It will also include a green roof component, a landscaped courtyard, and an outdoor volleyball court to replace the one that will be removed for construction.

Trosow said he was enthusiastic about the new residence, but expressed concerned about the reduced setbacks sought by Western in the building's design, including one that would put it up against the Richmond Street sidewalk if the roadway were widened for future transit.

Also of concern, he said, is the impact the residence may have on traffic in the area given its food service complement, noting that planning staff waived the need for a traffic study.

The building will be serviced by a loading and receiving area off Tower Lane, according to the report. A drop-off area is also proposed along University Drive.

"What you're going to see is delivery trucks for the food service, as well as the garbage trucks, coming in and out I'm concerned about turns into Tower Lane."