Western University development plans for its downtown campus have been shelved due to budget constraints, creating fear among city officials and local businesses that the project will not do enough to uplift the downtown economy.
The university continues to wa
nt a presence downtown but has not put a timeline on when the campus will move forward.
David Ferreira, a city councilor in downtown London, said the delay would have a significant effect on businesses that rely on student staff.
“A good number of downtown businesses wind up or wind down seasonally, and students fill those holes in employment,” Ferreira said. “Local businesses are already concerned about the impact it will have on them.”
Western bought the future campus land in 2021 with a view to offering health sciences and medicine programs. The university identified increased costs of building and doubt over the budget as a cause for the delay
.
“It would benefit the city as a whole because Western is one of the biggest pillars we have as an educational institution here, and downtown is also the cultural heart of the city,” Ferreira said.
Fanshawe College has two campuses located in the downtown core, which Ferreira said have been prompting students to come down to the core, patronizing restaurants, retail and service jobs. He indicated that Western could do the same.
Western has not yet published a revised timeline or stated if project planning will resume in the short term.
