Construction on new NSCC campus in downtown Sydney finally complete

The Nova Scotia Community College’s new Sydney Waterfront Campus in Sydney, N.S., is finished and ready to welcome students after the Labour Day weekend.

The new facility features classrooms and labs set up with the latest technology

"It has been an incredible journey," said Carla Arsenault, principal of the new downtown campus.

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From an empty lot along Sydney’s Esplanade when the announcement was first made five years ago, to today’s four-building campus connected by a pedway, the space for more than 1,000 students and 160-plus staff was built to be accessible and environmentally sustainable.

"We are seeking LEED Gold certification on the building, as well as Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Standards,” Arsenault said. “This building has geothermal heating and cooling. It is a 305,000-square-foot facility."

"When I walk in the doors here, I think about all that is possible, for me, even as a staff person,” said Matt Currie, interim director of student services. “So, I can't imagine how a student might feel."

A picture of the student lounge overlooking the Sydney Harbour at the NSCC Sydney Waterfront Campus. (CTV Atlantic/Ryan MacDonald)

Compared to the old Marconi Campus, which stood next door to Cape Breton University since the 1970s, the new downtown location is viewed as more conducive to students sticking around once classes for the day are finished.

"Going for a bite to eat somewhere, a coffee, going to the local gym,” Currie said. “There's so many opportunities for things like that now, so it's going to be really nice to see our students contributing to the overall vibrancy of the city."

The new NSCC Sydney Waterfront Campus is not all that is new in downtown Sydney.

Years of construction and renovations on Charlotte Street are finally finished, with the final section of the road reopening to traffic this weekend.

"Thrilled to have a nice big sidewalk, and the road open again in front of my store,” said Rick Jessome, a business owner along Charlotte Street.

Jessome said although the wait was long - and at times, difficult - he and many others hope to make new customers out of the new students.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what happens, for sure. I'm looking not back, but forward,” Jessome said.

The cafeteria in the NSCC Sydney Waterfront Campus is seen. (CTV Atlantic/Ryan MacDonald)

Parking, however, is still a work in progress.

The NSCC has secured roughly 250 parking spaces for students at Centre 200 and more at another location on Kings Road, along with staff and visitor parking on site. However, some have long wondered whether it will all be enough.

"With those 510 spaces (total), we'll be evaluating over the coming weeks whether we need more and we will see what happens next week,” Arsenault said.

New students arrive at the NSCC Sydney Waterfront Campus on Tuesday, while returning students will have their first day on the new campus on Wednesday.

Click here to see more images of the new campus.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.