City hall watchers, and even some councillors, have pressed Jeffrey to advocate for more of the funding for construction given Brampton’s population size and needs compared to a community like Milton at barely 100,000 people.

Asked how her lobbying efforts played out, Jeffrey responded that Deb Matthews, minister of advanced education and skills development, “was sympathetic to the argument, but indicated that the funds were going to be split evenly between the campuses of Milton and Brampton.”

Earlier this year, Matthews told The Guardian that there would be “flexibility” on how the $180 million would be split between both communities.

“The minister once again indicated that the allocation and the distribution were unlikely to change and that the final decision would rest with cabinet,” Jeffrey said.

Chris Bejnar, co-chair of Citizens For a Better Brampton (CFBB), a group which in the past publicly criticized the mayor for not having a clear plan to land a university campus, suggested city leaders wait on the province’s funding commitment before making a decision. Bejnar argued Brampton's significant cash commitment could drive more provincial dollars Milton's way.

"Why the rush to approve such significant funding? We don’t even know what our share is going to be from the $180 million pledged by the province for both the Brampton and Milton sites. I’m still hopeful that Brampton, a city six times larger in population, will receive a greater share of the funding over the Town of Milton."

The staff report headed to council next week highlights some economic benefits of a university, including a one-time construction impact of $373 million (1,820 jobs) and ongoing annual benefits of $220 million (1,510 jobs), based on a medium-term enrolment of 5,000 students.

The $100 million proposed for a “joint-use centre for education, innovation and collaboration” would help the mayor’s vision to cement Brampton’s place along “Canada’s Innovation Super Corridor.”

Planners say the cash could be put toward “a new central library, entrepreneurial and cultural space in proximity to a university facility in Downtown Brampton.”

The report describes “a creative space with unique attributes and advanced technology housed in an awe-inspiring iconic structure — embodying Brampton Library’s vision of ‘inspiring connections’ and reinventing Brampton’s cultural image across the country. A new central library, supporting a downtown university, can be a key component in transforming the downtown, supporting collaborative learning, and new cultural and business opportunities.”

Construction of a new library was a main feature in the city’s vision for the Southwest Quadrant (SWQ) renewal proposal, before council abandoned the controversial project beyond Phase 1.

