Lambton College staff and stakeholders put on hard hats and picked up shovels to break ground on a new, modernized residence.
The college held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site on Wednesday, June 25 to celebrate the next step.
Lambton College entered into a private public partnership with Tilbury Properties Corporation and Fengate Asset Management for the project.
The companies will finance the build, which is anticipated to cost $50 million.
Co-founder of Tilbury Properties Corporation Michael Kaye said it decided to partner with the college because there is a need for modernized student housing.
"We've spent the last two years working very closely with the college and its community to design this project and we're excited to get shovels in the ground and bring it to life," he said.
The new residence building will be approximately 105,000 square feet, five storeys, and have 311 beds.
Kaye said there will also be two different accommodation styles.
"Hybrid style, which is you have your own private room but you share a bathroom with one other student and then the other wing of the building will be apartment style. So, there will be three or four bedroom apartment with full in suite kitchen capabilities," he said.
There will also be community spaces at the residence, which will include a lounge on each floor, a large house lounge on the ground floor, and there will be kitchens for those in hybrid rooms to cook.
Kaye said there was also a focus on an outdoor space to replicate the space at its current residence.
"That will be off the back of the building with barbeques, couches," he said. "So a lot of really great amenity space within this building and just thrilled to see it come to life for the students at Lambton College," he said.
Kaye believes living on campus is a huge component for a student's success during their academic career.
"In modernizing this housing, making a purpose built student housing I think at the end of the day you're really going to see the student experience improve," he said. "The student experience at Lambton is wonderful and now having a purpose built, modern residence for those that choose to live on campus is just going to take it to the next level."
Kaye added there is a family tie to his company building the new residence.
His grandfather's construction company was awarded the contract to build the first ever building at Lambton in 1969.
Kaye said that makes the project even more special.
"This project was something I was excited about before knowing that and in learning that there is that additional connection just really puts a nice little bow on the sense of purpose and the sense of place for this project for me personally and for our partnership," he said.
This project is the largest capital project in the school's 58-year history.
Lambton College was also the home to the first residence in Ontario, which is in the process of being torn down.
In the coming weeks crews will be mobilizing the site and excavation will start shortly after.
The residence is scheduled to open in September 2027.
