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Placing the student experience at the heart of the decision-making process
Planning for the renovation of the G-wing into the Sam Taylor Student Commons, a vibrant hub of student-based campus services and activity is underway. Creating an integrated service delivery model will make it easier for students — from prospective to graduate — to navigate and access services and activities that support their ability to thrive and engage with Mount Royal University. This exciting project will create a central heart for student activity on campus. This is an accessible, inclusive space for work and for play, for sparking interactions and conversations, increasing engagement across all campus member groups.
The goal is to facilitate a more streamlined experience for students as they access centralized services such as Academic Advising and Career Services. An information counter to greet students, appointment rooms and flexible spaces contribute to a comfortable environment that adapts to the needs of users, whether they be students or employees. A central student plaza serves as a gathering place while also fostering greater connection with Indigenous and international students and communities.
In addition, the project features two new classrooms that will be able to accommodate large groups of students in addition to two Science and Technology laboratories to replace the two that will have to be removed due to construction.
The University appreciates the support from employees, students and the wider Mount Royal community as work gets underway on this transformative project that will improve the student experience.
May 2026: What’s happening with the project?
Construction continues to progress across the Sam Taylor Student Commons, with major advances visible throughout the building and surrounding exterior spaces now and in the coming weeks.
Interior progress
Work along the Main Street corridor is moving steadily forward. This month, the temporary hoarding walls along the north side of Main Street will begin coming down in phases as the renovated spaces reconnect with existing campus areas. Crews will start on the east side of Level 2 and continue west toward West Gate before shifting to Level 1, where removal will move from west to east. As this remains an active construction site, the campus community is asked to continue following all posted safety precautions.
Mudding and taping of the bulkheads is wrapping up this week, with priming and painting to follow. Installation of the new avenue tile is scheduled to begin May 21.
On Level 2, framing and rough-ins continue in labs and surrounding spaces, with boarding and taping work ramping up through late May and early June. Tile installation is underway in the all-gender washroom, with additional washrooms to follow. All washrooms are targeted to be operational by September.
The International Student Lounge is now approximately 90 per cent framed, while painting is beginning in the Career Services Space (formerly Work Integrated Learning) area, staff lounge and administration spaces on Level 1.
Exterior and roofing
Exterior work continues around the future student plaza and north entrance. Precast concrete removal is ongoing through May, while phased curtain wall installation is scheduled for June once the glass arrives on site. Once the glass is installed, the exterior hoarding will begin to come down.
Foundational work for the roof replacement is underway, with hazardous abatement work progressing. Crews will work through phased sections across the building. Roofing work is targeted for completion by the end of June.
Meanwhile, hazardous material abatement in A156 has been completed, with limited demolition work still underway in the area.
Schedule status
Several key interior enhancements have been approved by the Steering Committee. These include the addition of a new dry lab on the first floor, enclosure of the previously open multi-purpose space on the second-floor mezzanine, a redesigned entrance to the Iniskim Centre and replacement of the G-wing roof. Construction activity will continue to intensify throughout the spring and summer months, particularly on Level 1 and Level 2 interior finishes. Thank you to the campus community for your continued patience and support as work progresses on this exciting new student-centred space.
Project turnover is expected in Fall 2026.
Ongoing
- The eight washrooms on Level 1 and 2 of Main Street are closed, as they are being demolished. Please follow signage to alternate locations. You can find a searchable map at mru.ca/Washrooms.
- A portion of the T-wing courtyard is closed. While the courtyard is open, the G-wing side will be fenced off for safety for the duration of the project.
Photo 2: The exterior precast concrete panels surrounding the new north entrance are being removed.
Photo 3: On Level 2, the existing glass panel ceiling has been incorporated into the design, flooding the hallway between Math and Geology classrooms with natural light.
Photo 4: Work continues on one of the two new Geology labs on Level 2. There will also be two prep rooms and a storage area for Geology in the renovated space
Photo 5: On Level 1, framing and the installation of electrical, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems continues. The hallway in the centre of this photo leads to the plaza area, while future appointment rooms can be seen on the right. At left is the future home of the integrated service desk where students can access resources and supports.
Photo 6: Framing continues on Level 1, including these appointment rooms.
Photo 7: In early May, workers on the project attended a safety meeting combined with a barbecue lunch.
The temporary walls on Levels 1 and 2 of Main Street reduce disruption associated with the renovation of G-wing and provide a safety barrier.
Who is affected?: The campus community is affected by the walls, which will reduce how much room there is on Main Street, especially on Level 2. We’re asking you to “Keep Main Street Movin’: Stay right!” to reduce congestion during busy times. Also, consider:
- Using alternate routes when possible
- Using Main Street during non-peak times, when able
- Employees, schedule the start times of in-person meetings outside of class changes. These 10-minute windows take place at 10 to and 20 after the hour. (Class times include 10 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.; 1 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.; etc.)
What: The framed walls with insulation and drywall provide improved noise mitigation and a safety barrier to the construction site through the completion of the G-wing renovation in Fall 2026.
Where: On Level 1, the wall, which extends approximately six feet into Main Street, runs from west of the Recruitment office to the north side to T-wing. It is on the north side of Main Street, opposite the Cougars Campus Store and Tim Hortons. The wall on Level 2 is located in a similar area.
Why: The walls need to be in place for safety considerations as G-100 is an active construction site. In addition, the upgraded wall offers improved noise mitigation for the ongoing construction.
Background
Where we started
The 2016 Campus Master Plan identified the opportunity to repurpose the vacated library space in the G-wing along Main Street to create a new student centre that would also host a gathering space. With $50 million in capital funding from the provincial government and $15 million in private funding from the Don and Ruth Taylor family (the Taylor Family Foundation), this much-needed renovation is converting unusable areas of the old library and Conservatory into modern and functional spaces with a student-centred purpose. The first phase of this work — four new classrooms in W-wing as well as study spaces and washrooms — is complete and being used by students.
What’s been going on?
The next phase involves the G-wing. This is the two-storey former library space along Main Street, approximately 4,700 m2 of programmable space, including adjacent Faculty of Science & Technology spaces on the first and second floors. An initial functional program — a process that aligns the space with the functions that will take place in it — led to a schematic design for the project. In 2022, the University re-engaged with the primary stakeholders, who make up the Project Users’ Group, to ensure the design still meets the needs of students and employees.
In addition to the Project Users’ Group, a Steering Committee, composed of University leadership, and an Operations Committee, with representatives from Facilities Management, Finance and University Advancement, are part of this review. These groups are working with Colliers Project Leaders, project managers of the G-wing renovation, Stuart Olson Construction Ltd. and the Calgary studio of DIALOG, the architectural firm designing the space.
In the renovated G-wing, our community will be able to access Students’ Division services and resources. The current proposal also includes:
- The Office of Community and Belonging
- Two new Science & Technology laboratories that replace two current S&T laboratories
- Two new, large classroom spaces
- A new connection to the Iniskim Centre
Fall 2023: Users have their say
The Project Users’ Group — made up of representatives from the Students Division, the primary service providers in the space, as well as Facilities Management, University Advancement and others — revalidated the functional program. This group determined how we can best deliver a student-focused, integrated service delivery model in the old library space. Identifying key aspects in the student journey — from arrival to exit — kept the focus on the most efficient, innovative, engaging way to serve our students.
All this information was used to create a schematic design report. This takes the functions of what Mount Royal wants to occur in the old library area and translates it into a physical drawing of the space. The report underwent technical review by Mount Royal for feedback, as well as estimating efforts to assess the project cost. The project team reviewed the estimates and implemented design revisions from the cost savings list that was developed in parallel.
The report was updated in response to feedback, and the final version submitted to the Government of Alberta in November 2023. Once this report was completed, the next phase began: detailed design work.
Design development phase
The design development phase — which finalizes layout design — lasted from November 2023 through April 2024. During design development, additional details are added to the drawings such as structural components, where the door to an office goes, where electrical plug-ins are required, what flooring is used in various locations and where plumbing lines will be located. The floor plans and elevations completed as a part of this phase provide a vision of what the finished space will look like and how it will function.
To facilitate effective user engagement during the design development phase, various working groups were established. These include groups that focus on technology and furniture, fixtures and equipment, with participation from members of the Operations Group Committee and the Project User Group. This ensures that the users of the space had opportunities to provide comprehensive input into the design of the finished space as do those who will be supporting the users. The working groups that supported finalizing the layout design of the G-wing renovation included:
Technology Working Group
This group, including representatives from Facilities Management, Student Division, Information Technology Services and Building Ops. confirmed the IT/AV needs for the space, keeping in mind the equipment will need to follow MRU standards. The user group provided valuable input to help define functionality.
Furniture Working Group
This group, composed of representatives from Facilities Management and Student Division, helped define the basis of design. The furniture procurement will be required to follow a competitive bid process. User engagement will help define functionality and bring samples of products to get feedback.
Finishes Working Group
This group consists of representatives from Facilities Management, Student Division and Building Ops. Finishes were led by DIALOG and were a two-stage approach:
- A finishes board was presented by DIALOG which encompassed items like carpet, tile, paint, etc. These proposed options were reviewed by Facilities Management in terms of durability, maintenance, design standards, etc.
- Presentation meetings: presentation of DIALOG’s interior design on Science and Technology, the Student Centre and the Student Plaza to wider groups discovered if there was a strong rejection consensus, which could spark further conversation for alternative choices.
- G-wing committees reviewed the Design Development Draft Report and provided feedback to DIALOG in order to meet the submission deadline to the Government of Alberta.
What's next?
After construction documents reflecting the finalized design were created, tenders for the various scopes of work that make up the construction were put out and applications submitted for applicable building permits. Construction began in spring 2025 and is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2026.
Timeline
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Schematic design
June – November 2023
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Design development
November 2023 – April 2024
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Construction documents
April – December 2024
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Construction procurement
February – March 2025
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Construction, deficiency correction and occupancy
March 2025 – Fall 2026
Contact us
This project is overseen by Facilities Management with the leadership of the Vice-President of Finance and Administration. Email gwingrenovation@mtroyal.ca with any questions.