As the College and the Julia Harrison Bruce and Fred G. Harrison Foundations began to discuss construction of the various structures in the Village, it was apparent the success of the Village depended upon the ability to host meetings at the location. By making meeting space available, participants would have opportunity to stroll through the Village as part of the program for various events. That was key to ensuring the maximum number of people could experience the rich look at local history the Village offers.

The storm of May 8, 2009 taught our College and community much about the importance of planning for emergencies. That storm left the campus without power for five days. A decision was made during the design of the Robert L. Mees Village Centre to make it able to serve as an Incident Command Center for the campus and/or community. The Centre can now be fully powered by a portable generator owned by the College and has been wired for multiple line telephone and internet capability. Should it become necessary in the future, this facility can help emergency service personnel manage the responses to area emergencies, whether on or off campus.