In 2010, Carleton’s Master Plan was unveiled to the Board of Governors (BoG), intending to set the direction for the physical development of the campus.
It was an ambitious vision. Students and faculty would be able to walk on garden rooftops, a tree-lined corridor would lead from the quad to the Ottawa River, and new sections of campus would sprout up on its north and east sides.
Five years have passed, and Carleton will have to review the plan in accordance to a BoG policy.
Since 2010, Carleton hasn’t seemed to make an effort in moving forward with the most impactful recommendations from the Master Plan.
Paterson Hall is one of Carleton’s oldest buildings, and one targeted in the Master Plan for a complete overhaul. With its T-shaped design, it takes up more space than it should, and the Master Plan recommends the building be demolished and replaced by two symmetrical buildings with a beautiful tree-lined quad-to-river corridor.
The Master Plan suggests this overhaul will be part of the greatest transformation of Carleton’s campus and has been the school’s goal since the 1990s.
But consistently, Carleton has not bothered to consider replacing the monolithic and inefficiently built Paterson Hall with a new outdoor space for students.
The plan also calls for the main quad to be revitalized. A glass podium would be constructed at the bottom of Dunton Tower, which would attempt to integrate the building with the rest of the quad.
Although it is one of Carleton’s most iconic buildings, it hasn’t been drastically updated since it was completed in 1974.
The long-term plan has the area by University Drive and Bronson Avenue developed into another section of campus with modern academic facilities which would better engage the street.
However, the plan places the buildings where the solar house is currently being built. Carleton will have to work around it, which will reduce the amount of land available for development.
The Master Plan also recommends for a new quad to be built where the parking lot in front of University Centre (UC) currently stands. Carleton should have moved forward with steps to replace the eyesore of a parking lot long ago.
The route from the main campus bus stop to the UC entrance lacks a foot path for the thousands of pedestrians walking through the parking lot daily and instead leaves them in the way of moving vehicles.
The UC parking lot is usually the first thing people see getting off the bus. Replacing the parking lot not only benefits current students and faculty who make the cross-parking lot walk, but gives Carleton the opportunity to provide a grander first impression for guests.
Carleton will never match the beauty of an institution like Hogwarts, but we should at least try.
