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By Raviya Singh

Ryerson University’s Centre for Urban Innovation (CUI) is slated to open by the end of November—two months late.

Despite construction delays, the terms for securing funding will be met as the project will have completed commissioning by the end of November as required, said Monica Contreras, director of facilities management for the university.

The centre, which will takeover what used to be Ryerson’s old Theatre School building at 44 Gerrard St. E., was supposed to open in September. The opening was postponed due to various construction delays.

In addition to maintaining the existing heritage building, the CUI will house Ryerson Urban Water, the Centre for Urban Energy, Data Analytics Lab, Next Lab and the Food Research Lab. The building will also double as a state-of-the-art research facility to promote the expansion of scientific research on campus and collaboration between different research groups.

“The facility’s construction, transition, and moving teams have been terrific and very organized,” said Angela Murphy, manager of Ryerson’s Urban Water Centre.

“We are looking forward to our researchers and students undertaking collaborative and innovative research and outreach activities with the other research centres,” she added.

The centre was made possible by a $19.8 million investment from the federal government, after Ryerson announced its plans to open the building in 2016 as a project to improve research at the university.

Lead designer of the project and architect at Moriyama and Teshima Architects, Carol Phillips said she views the new building as an advancement in the future of education and research in Toronto.

“As the designers for the Ryerson CUI, we are most proud to see this project enable real world applications for urgent urban issues in our own city, and refresh and renew a dialogue with the city’s heritage fabric,” Phillips said in a statement.