UNC Asheville Construction Projects Funded Through the 2000 Higher Education Bond Referendum

Steve and Frosene Zeis Science and Multimedia Building is the largest of the campus projects funded through the statewide 2000 Higher Education Bond Referendum. The statewide 2000 Higher Education Improvement Bond Referendum is providing $22.2 million for the $24-million project. The new building will be home to the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Multimedia Arts and Sciences. Construction is scheduled to begin in Fall 2005 with a projected completion date of Spring 2007. O’Brien/Atkins Associates of Raleigh is the building designer. Contractors are Rentenbach Construction of Knoxville, Bolton Construction and Service of Asheville, and Haynes Electric Construction of Asheville.

New Hall: Construction of this $5.5-million classroom building to replace the outmoded facilities in Carmichael Hall is scheduled to be completed in November 2005 and will open in January 2006. The building will house the history, foreign languages, classics, women’s studies and philosophy departments, along with the humanities program. The building is located adjacent to Zageir Hall and Belk Theatre. “Green” building design highlights include an innovative green roof plaza that minimizes rainwater runoff and provides a rooftop park setting, and geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling, which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Project architects are Pearce, Brinkley, Cease & Lee of Asheville and the General Contractor is H&M Construction of Asheville.

Zageir Hall Renovation: This $2.5 million project will provide interior renovation to Zageir Hall. The design phase is complete and project construction will begin after the completion of the new Carmichael Hall. Pearce Brinkley Cease & Lee of Asheville are the project architects. Renovations are expected to be complete Spring 2007.

Facilities Management Building: This $6.3 million project replaces the outdated physical plant building constructed in 1963, which now occupies key space in the heart of the student housing area. The new building, located at the edge of campus away from the academic and housing core, incorporates a number of sustainable design features including passive solar, active solar, and geothermal heating and cooling. The project is one of the State of North Carolina’s Triangle J–High Performance Building Pilot Projects. The designer is Brown & Jones Architects of Raleigh. Construction began in summer 2005 with a projected completion date of December 2006.

The Highsmith University Student Union: This project, completed in August 2004, added 46,000 square feet to the original Highsmith Center, built in 1982. The bond referendum provided $11.5 million toward the $15.5 million renovation/expansion.  

Electrical System Upgrade: A $1 million, three-phase upgrade of the campus electrical system was competed in January 2003.

Technology Infrastructure Expansion: This $751,200 in funding was used to improve capacity and to meet current and future information technology needs. The project was completed in November 2002.