ASU breaks ground on ed building

By Tiffany Allison

The rain and wind could not stop Appalachian State University officials from breaking ground Thursday for a new education building that had previously caused an ample amount of controversy within the town of Boone.
The ceremonial tent was packed full of faculty, community members and students to witness yet another expansion of the university. The guests included N.C. Sen. Steve Goss (D-45), N.C. Rep. Cullie Tarleton, (D-93), University of North Carolina system President Erskine Bowles, ASU Chancellor Ken Peacock and Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson.

Officials and students break ground on Appalachian State’s newest building project —a 123,520-square-foot education complex near College Street in Boone last Thursday. Photo by Tiffany Allison

Jim Deal, chairman of ASU board of trustees, addressed the conflict between the university and town of Boone on the location of the education building in his welcome speech.

“What you need to realize is that we were able to work out all of the competing interests and that’s why we are here today,” he said.

“That was done with the cooperation of the town of Boone and we all basically agree on common goals and figured out a way to make it happen,”

The building, located near College Street, became controversial because town officials earlier said it didn’t meet land-use regulations. Officials said the building exceeded the allowable floor area by more than 100,000 square feet, which is 10 times the allowable square footage based on property size and zoning designation. The development also failed to meet the minimum open space requirement of 32,775 square feet, the project being deficient by 15,180 square feet.

“This was not an adversarial process—this was a cooperative process,” Deal said Thursday.

In an interview before the ceremony, Bowles and Peacock expressed their excitement about the ceremony.

“I came because I think teaching is the most important occupation in the country today and it’s the most critical,” Bowles said. “I think that teachers and future teachers deserve our best facilities, our best equipment, our best training and our best professors. And now at Appalachian they will have it and I am very proud of that.”

Peacock explained that the new education building would not be possible if it were not for Bowles’ support and funding.

“It is a great day for Appalachian and for North Carolina because we need more teachers and we will have the ability to turn out more teachers, better qualified teachers with new technology,” Peacock said. “It’s a great day for all of us in North Carolina.”

The new 123,520 square-foot, $34 million dollar education building will contain 121 faculty offices, 12 conference rooms, 17 classrooms, computer teaching labs, student computer labs, two research suites for grants and contracts, a reading clinic including eight tutoring rooms and a National Center for Developmental Education. Peacock explained the building would have the latest technology and the ability to conduct on-line courses as well.

“It will also be a facility that will be used by the community,” he said. “It’s more than just an Appalachian building. We have great relationship with all the schools’ K through 12 programs here and you will find young people using those facilities. It’s a community facility as well. That’s why we think it’s so well placed because it’s still accessible to the community as well as to the campus itself.”

Charles Duke, dean of the Reich College of Education at ASU, said that space was the most important change in the new building. Currently in Duncan Hall, the faculty members are too cramped to receive grants that will bring more faculty members into the program.

“So the new building, even though it will probably be close to getting full before we get in, really has more space for us to be able to use so we can do more things,” he said.

Duke said the building’s first floor was another positive addition that will provide a place for conferences and workshops for both students and teachers.

“It’s very flexible,” he said. “I think our goal is to stake that place where people feel comfortable in coming and they feel that it is destined for them.”

Tracey Wright, an assistant vice-president of student affairs who taught algebra and pre-algebra for three years, said she was excited about the new building.

“I just strongly believe in having quality teachers and having the appropriate facilities to train and provide that opportunity for future educators,” Wright said. “If we don’t do a better job educating our students and showing our valuing and appreciation as a nation of educators, we’re going to continue to lose ground in this important area. I think what we just experienced out there in the cold and rain is a critical moment in the history of Appalachian State University.”

Scott Baker, vice-president of LS3P Associates LTD, an architectural company based in Charlotte, is the one responsible for the architectural planning of the building.

“We expect the building to be ready for classes in fall of 2011,” Baker said.