In August 2024, McGill Vice-President (Administration and Finance) Fabrice Labeau and Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi announced the provincial government’s changes in its funding mechanism for university construction and renovation projects. As a result of these changes, new projects and all calls for tender for construction have been halted at McGill.
At McGill’s second budget town hall of the academic year on Feb. 7, President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini highlighted additional financial pressures the university is facing.
In light of the university’s projected financial deficit, The Tribune breaks down the funding processes behind current and future construction projects at McGill, and examines the timelines of these various projects.
What are some of the outstanding construction projects at McGill?
The McGill Downtown Campus’ Upper Main Road, otherwise known as the Y intersection, has been under construction for eight months. The project was outlined in McGill’s 2019 Master Plan, with construction beginning in June 2024. The Master Plan set out short-, medium-, and long-term plans to improve the built environments of McGill’s Downtown and Macdonald campuses.
In a statement to The Tribune, the McGill Media Relations Office (MRO) wrote that although some construction projects may seem stalled, it can be due to the phasing of work and environmental factors.
“The Y intersection redesign is a project that involves ground infrastructure,” the MRO wrote. “Though some work can happen during frost periods, other phases must wait for warmer periods.”
The New Vic Project, which was first introduced in 2015, has been under construction since 2022. The project takes place in part on the grounds of the former Royal Victoria Hospital, whose Allen Memorial Institute was a site of the CIA’s MK-ULTRA mind control and chemical interrogation experiments. Since its inception, the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) have contested the project, arguing the site may hold unmarked graves. Despite the Mothers’ calls to halt construction and undertake a comprehensive investigation of the site, McGill maintains that the New Vic will be completed and inaugurated in 2028.
Other ongoing construction and renovation projects include the Strathcona Music Building, the Raymond Building on the Macdonald Campus, the New Residence Hall, and the McConnell Arena. Currently, there are over 60 ongoing or planned construction projects at the downtown campus.
Pending or new construction projects, like the Fiat Lux library project, have been suspended until further assessment.
How will cuts to McGill’s financial budget affect current and future construction projects?
The McGill Media Relations Office (MRO) wrote to the The Tribune, clarifying that construction projects are not affected by McGill’s financial budget.
“Capital projects like construction are not part of the operational budget. They have their own envelope,” the MRO wrote. “Government rules require that these remain totally separate.”
What factors may affect the timeline of McGill’s construction projects?
McGill construction projects require governmental approval as they are heavily funded by the provincial government of Quebec. With Labeau and Manfredi’s announcement on the government’s yearly cap on provincial funding, the university has to suspend new construction projects. In turn, this may delay the completion date of various construction projects.
In addition, any construction or renovation project in the Golden Square Mile must be approved by the Ministre du Patrimoine Pascale St-Onge due to the neighbourhood’s historical significance.
The Golden Square Mile, bordered by Avenue des Pins on the north, covers most of McGill’s Downtown Campus. Most construction projects on campus therefore require this second layer of approval, adding time to their completion.
For more information on McGill’s current construction projects, visit the McGill Interactive Accessible Network Map. For future construction projects, visit McGill’s Campus Planning and Development Team’s Master Plan.
