Major plans are in the works to turn the Town's dream of being home to a university campus into a reality.

At press time last night, town council was to consider a proposal for the 'Milton Education Village' neighbourhood -- a concept that would see 150 acres of land in southwest Milton offered for free to a university interested in setting up shop locally.

The land, located on Tremaine Road between Derry and Britannia roads, would be made available to the Town through a land swap with Mattamy Homes.

A staff report to council explained that an agreement has been signed with Mattamy that gives the Town the right to acquire the 150 acres in exchange for five acres of Town-owned property on Main Street, adjacent to the Milton GO station.

"The Town is pleased that Mattamy Homes has become a partner by dedicating such a large site for this very important community project," said Mayor Gord Krantz.

The staff proposal calls for the university campus to be the heart of a larger neighbourhood that could also include on-site student housing, a business/research park, supporting services and a comprehensively planned adjacent residential neighbourhood.

"Once again, Milton is proving to be an innovator in community planning," said Krantz. "We have a unique opportunity to realize a greater vision for Milton's future that will build on the relationship between education and economy."

Regional Chair Gary Carr also voiced the Region's support for the initiative.

"Higher education means more opportunities for local residents and contributes to a stronger, more vibrant community overall," he said. "We look forward to working with the Town of Milton to help this vision become a reality."

The Town has been trying to attract a post-secondary institution for years. Last year, town council approved making the five-acre site on Main Street available for free to entice a college or university.

A marketing campaign was then launched. While the proposal garnered interest, the Town was told the small size of the property would limit the development of a complete campus.

The Town then began exploring the idea of partnering with the development community to enable a land trade for a larger site to accommodate a full-scale campus.

So while a lot of work has already been done, there's still a lot that has to be accomplished before the university dream can be realized.

First, town council last night had to consider a series of staff recommendations that would initiate the planning process for the neighbourhood.

If council approved the matter, the Town would turn to the Region to ask that it identify the proposed site as an urban expansion area.

The municipality would also call on the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal for their direction and involvement in the overall process.

While the Province hasn't committed funding for a Milton university at this point, Town CAO Mario Belvedere pointed out the recently released provincial budget included significant funding for post-secondary education.

He said the Town is close to making a deal with a potential university partner. Once it does, that institution can make an application to the Province for funding.

Belvedere said he thinks the Town's proposal will be attractive to the ministry.

"There's no other place in the GTA that has this kind of virgin land that's free," he noted.

A staff report on the topic indicated part of the process would also include consulting with adjacent landowners to undertake a neighbourhood plan, as well as a design charette (workshop) for the education village.

To read the full staff report visit www.milton.ca.

See Friday's Champion for full details on council's decision regarding the Milton Education Village.

Melanie Hennessey can be reached at mhennessey@miltoncanadianchampion.com.