 UNC Charlotte's next new building won’t be at UNC Charlotte, but 9 miles southwest in downtown Charlotte.
In the fall of 2011, students in UNC Charlotte's MBA program and other graduate programs will be attending classes in an iconic 12-story addition to downtown Charlotte's skyline.
The new building at 9th and Brevard streets will broaden the university's reach, build regional support and strengthen the argument for the planned extension of light rail to University City, say two supporters of the project.
This is the most important building in the university's history, Chancellor Philip L. Dubois told the Charlotte Business Journal, because it will greatly strengthen bonds between downtown businesses and the university.
The building will sit beside the current terminus of the LYNX Blue Line light-rail line at 9th Street. Studies are under way to show a need to extend the line north to UNC Charlotte's main campus.
Michael Smith, president of Charlotte Center City Partners, told The Charlotte Observer that the new UNC Charlotte building in uptown underscores the need to build that light-rail extension.
Construction is slated to get under way later this spring on the new $50.4 million Center City Building, which is the only University of North Carolina classroom building conceived and designed specifically to serve the business, organizations and people of the urban center. The overall project, including parking, adjacent park, roads and service features are collaborations with city, county and private business.
The new structure will provide UNC Charlotte with an enduring presence in the city's business and cultural district, while serving as a brick-and-mortar illustration of the University's position as the leading institution of higher education in the region.
As a result of our rapid growth over the last few years, UNC Charlotte has been fortunate to have built a number of important new academic buildings. But from a number of perspectives, this may be the most important, said Dubois.
"The Center City Building is a significant symbol for our academic mission," Dubois said. "We are literally bringing our considerable intellectual resources to the heart of the Charlotte community. By offering top graduate programs in a center city setting, it represents our commitment to the continuing growth and development of the work force and providing lifelong learning opportunities."
Upon completion, the Center City Building will offer several of the University's graduate-level programs, including the Belk College of Business MBA and the new MBA concentration in Sports Marketing and Management. The university's Urban Design Studio will also be based there.
Joseph B. Mazzola, dean of the Belk College of Business, noted that UNC Charlotte and the business school have had a presence in the Center City since the mid-1990s. But the relationship will change dramatically with the new facility, he said.
"This new building will help to cement our relationships with our Uptown business partners and will open up a whole new realm of possibilities for Belk College students to interact with the business community," he said. "This in turn will provide value to our students from their real-time business interaction and will it extend the reach of the Belk College's knowledge and learning-based resources directly into Uptown Charlotte."
In addition, graduate-level classes in the colleges of Engineering, Health and Human Services, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Arts + Architecture's new master's program in Urban Design, will be held in the downtown campus building.
"Connecting the College of Arts + Architecture to the Center City is an important opportunity to provide visibility and access for our students to the rich arts and cultural works in Charlotte, as well as merge our increasingly diverse and creative populations," said Ken Lambla, dean of the College of Arts + Architecture.
The 12-story cantilevered design is by renowned architectural firm KieranTimberlake, in partnership with Charlotte-based Gantt Huberman Architects. KieranTimberlake's client list includes UNC Chapel Hill, Yale, Cornell and Princeton Universities.
"The Center City Building defines UNC Charlotte as a vibrant addition to the central business district, providing a unique icon for the University while establishing a lively urban presence in the First Ward," said James Timberlake, design partner for the Philadelphia-based firm. "It will be a dramatic and environmentally responsive design and befitting of a University building."
Harvey Gantt, of Gantt Huberman, said the Center City Building "will be a most important addition to the urban design fabric of Uptown Charlotte.
"The building, sited on axis with ImaginOn, and linked together by a proposed new public park and mixed-use private development, promises to offer to citizens a new and memorable place in the Center City," he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin this spring on the striking 143,000 square-foot building, which will overlook a four-acre park and anchor the redevelopment of the First Ward neighborhood.
The building site at Ninth and Brevard streets will be adjacent to the park and there will be a light rail stop within easy walking distance. Nearby will be some of the city's leading cultural institutions, including Spirit Square, ImaginOn and the Levine Museum of the New South - and the offices of Bank of America and Wells Fargo and other corporate citizens.
While the core purpose of the Center City Building will be to serve professionals, managers and executives continuing their education, the University also expects it to become part of the cultural fabric of the central business district.
For example, a 300-seat auditorium will be made available for public events, and a spacious lobby will be a public space with such amenities as an art and architecture gallery, a bookstore and a coffee shop.
In addition, with a goal of achieving the distinction of a LEED silver certified building of distinct design, the project illustrates the University's commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship. Rodgers Builders of Charlotte will serve as the construction manager.
- - Photos and the bulk of this report were provided by UNC Charlotte.
CENTER CITY CLASSROOM FACTS
• 12-story LEED silver-certified building
• Cost: $50.4 million
• Designer: Architectural firm Kieran Timberlake, in partnership with Gantt Huberman Architects
• 143,000 square feet of classroom, public spaces and faculty offices
• 25 classrooms with a combined capacity of more than 1,500 seats
• 300-seat auditorium available for public events
• 7,000-plus square feet of space available for public receptions and events
• 18,000-square-foot plaza linking building to adjacent city park.
• 600-space underground parking garage beneath the park, with 300 spaces reserved for UNC Charlotte.
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