The University of Waterloo has notified the Town of Huntsville that it will be terminating the lease agreement for the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment as of August 31st.
This means the university will be vacating the building on Forbes Drive at the end of May.
“It is unfortunate that the distance between our campus and the centre proved to be a challenge for our students but I am pleased that we will be able to continue to offer those educational opportunities in Waterloo,” said Jean Andrey, Dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo.
Andrey thanked the town for offering the opportunity to provide some environmental programming at the facility since it opened in 2011.
The current lease agreement was renewed in 2015 and was set to expire at the end of August 2018.
“It is unfortunate that the University will be leaving the campus in Huntsville,” said Mayor Scott Aitchison. “With this recent announcement, the Town of Huntsville will be looking at the future use of the facility in order to find a long term solution.”
The mayor said finding the right fit for the town is important.
“We want to reduce the financial cost of this building to the taxpayer while still maintaining the original intent of the facility, which is a focus on education and environmental stewardship,” he said.
In the meantime, the town is continuing its relationship with existing community groups and businesses renting space in the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment.
