UNC Asheville Announces Proposed Plan to Develop Part of its Millennial Campus Property

The University of North Carolina Asheville is thrilled to be able to announce a proposed development plan for portions of its Millennial Campus. This includes the 45-acre property known as the South Campus, which is bordered by Broadway Street and W.T. Weaver Boulevard, and the property known as the Broadway Property that is bordered by Zillicoa Street and the Reed Creek Greenway. This phased project is poised to both position UNC Asheville for long-term success and provide substantial benefits to the City of Asheville and the region.

In collaboration with Asheville City Soccer Club, the anchor of phase one of the proposed plan is a multi-purpose stadium on the South Campus that would be home to both men’s and women’s USL soccer teams and the UNC Asheville men’s and women’s Division I soccer teams. The stadium will also be designed to host multiple types of events that will draw people from across the region and state to the University and city. 

Included in phase one will be mixed-use housing for UNC Asheville students, faculty and staff, and the local community, as well as a planned child care center and other amenities. These additions to Asheville will ease on-campus housing shortages and address the community’s high-demand and critical needs in multiple areas.

Details for the Broadway Property, part of phase two of the project, are still being determined.

“Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented devastation to our area,” said Chancellor Kimberly van Noort. “We witnessed tremendous losses – to the environment, businesses, jobs, housing, and more.  The Millennial Campus initiative is a new opportunity to build a future of hope and prosperity for our campus and the community while addressing critical needs and diversifying our revenue streams.”  

Both phases of the project, once they are fully completed, will bring in investments of over $250 million, hundreds of jobs, and substantial increases in new sales tax revenue each year. Equally important, it will bring resources and opportunities to UNC Asheville and the region that will ensure vibrant and accessible opportunities for all.

The plan also includes green space, consistent with the University’s commitment to balancing environmental sustainability with its need to ensure financial sustainability through vibrant student, faculty, and staff experiences. This commitment can be seen in other projects, including sheltering Chestnut Ridge during the construction of Lookout Observatory, the permaculture garden at the Sam Millar Facilities Management Complex, the partnership with the Botanical Gardens, which will soon be solidified via a long-term agreement, and the University’s donation of the land to help create the Reed Creek and Glenn’s Creek Greenways along Broadway Street and W.T. Weaver Boulevard.

“UNC Asheville is poised to enhance its educational and experiential opportunities, as well as the regional economy upon which we all depend,” said van Noort. “We must work to ensure the future success of the University and of the region, and this plan aims to accomplish both.”

The University will provide opportunities to university, alumni, and local and regional community members to share their thoughts on the proposed plan. Details regarding those sessions will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the University’s Millennial Campus and this proposed plan, please visit the UNC Asheville Millennial Campus website.