It's been a longtime coming.

A well-known and prestigious university that first opened in Toronto way back in the day is now making a return to the city.

Hamilton's McMaster University will open an 8,000-square-foot collaborative learning space at 180 Bloor Street West, near Bloor and Avenue, the post-secondary institution announced today.

"This prime location will give our scholars, researchers, students, alumni and staff a new hub for making connections and tackling local and global issues," said the university's president, David Farrar, in a release announcing the news.

All McMaster students will be able to access the learning centre, which is being collaboratively designed by the Business, Engineering and Health Sciences faculties to ensure a welcoming space.

"Its architectural features are inspired by Mac alumnus Michael Lee-Chin's 'Crystal' at the Royal Ontario Museum. We are proud to re-establish a physical presence in downtown Toronto, where we have so many active students, alumni, and industry partners," said Khaled Hassanein, Dean of the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster.

The building will also act as an information centre for prospective students and administrative officers.

One-hundred and thirty-five years ago in 1887, McMaster was first situated at 273 Bloor Street, now home to the Royal Conservatory of Music. At that time, the school was known as McMaster Hall on Bloor Street.

In 1930, the university relocated to Hamilton to establish its main campus, which is now a sprawling site on nearly 122 hectares of land.

McMaster has routinely been ranked for it's academic excellency in Canada and is known for its medical and computer sciences programs.

This new learning hub is set to open before the end of the year.