Brampton’s medical school wants $25M for renovations

Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon have conditionally agreed to chip in $5 million towards a $135 million plan for renovations and upgrades, with another $20 million requested from the province.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine opened its doors to students in Brampton last year, taking over the $48-million Bramalea Civic Centre in a gift to the school from the city.

Brampton has also donated $20 million toward renovations, while the federal government has provided $25 million and another approximate $50 million from various donors, according to a Region of Peel report.

But the school is in need of more funding for its $135 million renovation plan and is asking for a combined $25 million from Ontario and the Region of Peel.

The additional $25 million would be used for “core capital development,” including teaching, research and training infrastructure, according to a report. The funds wouldn’t go towards programs like the Integrated Health Centres, which are supported through provincial funding.

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A conditional $5 million donation was unanimously approved by Peel Regional Council last month, which will only be fulfilled if the province agrees to $20 million in additional funding.

“Given the scope of the request, clear articulation of funding roles and responsibilities across partners will be important to ensure transparency, avoid perceptions of duplication, and strengthen accountability,” a region report reads.

The region hasn’t decided on how it will pay for its $5 million share of the $25 million donation if the province signs on, but it could lead to a five-year property tax levy with a 0.63 per cent increase in the first year.

Along with the additional donation, Brampton City Council has thrown its support behind a proposal to bring wet lab facilities and a diabetes innovation hub to the school. TMU wants to develop a facility to address the GTA’s “critical shortage” of wet labs – specialized laboratory spaces where researchers work with biological or chemical materials and conduct biomedical research.