MUN to sell Signal Hill campus, Johnson Geo Centre and Harlow amid financial strain
Memorial University will be selling the Signal Hill Campus, the Johnson Geo Centre, the Ingstad building in St. John’s, as well as Harlow Campus in the U.K. as the university faces financial hardship.
MUN’s Board of Regents approved this recommendation from administration yesterday at a special meeting, to begin the process of divesting real estate they say ‘is not central’ to the university’s academic mission. MUN President Dr. Janet morrison will speak to media at 2:00p.m.
“We are taking a disciplined, intentional approach to financial stewardship so Memorial’s resources are directed where they have the greatest impact,” explained Justin Ladha, chair of the Board of Regents.
“By reducing investment in non-core assets, we can further protect academic delivery, better maintain our infrastructure and ensure we remain well-positioned to support Memorial’s current and future learners.”
This decision to pursue divestment of these assets is not a value judgement on the quality of work done in these areas, nor does it mean that activities and units within those buildings will end. It is an opportunity for Memorial to right size its physical footprint and focus on what matters most,” stated Dr. Janet Morrison, Memorial’s president and vice-chancellor.
Memorial University is facing significant financial challenges due to declining enrolment, constrained budgets, inflationary pressures, and the broader forces of social, technological and economic disruption that are impacting higher education across Canada.
In May 2025, Memorial announced that a base expenditure reduction of $20.85 million must be permanently removed from its operating budget. This was compounded by decreased enrolment in fall 2025 that further constrained the university’s financial position with reduced tuition revenue of approximately $5 million.
This reduction in Memorial’s physical footprint is part of an ongoing effort to contract with care and focus on financial sustainability. It is also in line with commentary in a recent AG Report on Memorial’s costly physical footprint.
There are no immediate layoffs associated with today’s decision.
Operational impacts
The impacts below will be further refined as plans are developed:
- At Harlow Campus: Academic programming and events will continue until Aug. 31, 2026.
- At Signal Hill Campus: operations and client bookings will continue at the Emera Innovation Exchange. This decision does not mean that activities or units currently housed at the Signal Campus will cease. Unit-level planning will commence immediately to identify alternate spaces or adjustments to current offerings. If a sale is not completed by April 2027, all operations at that campus will cease and the building will close.
- Graduate student residence occupancy will continue at Signal Hill Campus at this time, with support available to help students find alternative accommodations on the St. John’s campus.
- Johnson GEO Centre will reopen as usual in April, following its seasonal closure. If a sale or transfer is not completed by December 2026, operations will cease and the building will close.
- Units within the Ingstad building (308 Elizabeth Ave, St. John’s), Strategic Procurement and Print and Mail Services, will move to the St. John’s campus.
At least $3M in annual savings; $20M in deferred maintenance
When complete, it is expected that the divestment of these assets will result in a recurring, annual operating expense reduction of at least $3 million.
Further, and over time, the university’s deferred maintenance liability will be reduced by an estimated $20 million.
The potential revenue from the sale of each property has not yet been determined and was not the driving force behind this decision.
In the case of Harlow Campus, net proceeds from the sale of property will be reinvested to ensure global learning opportunities are more accessible and equitable for a broader array of students from Newfoundland and Labrador.