About

Wey Hall, which houses the Department of Art, was built in 1976 and has never been renovated. It lacks fire suppression and sprinkler systems. Other major building systems are also reaching the end of their useful lives, such as plumbing, elevators, and electrical, heating/cooling and ventilation systems. Ventilation is particularly important in this building, given that students work in metal work and darkroom processes that produce fumes.

Originally, the university planned to renovate the building’s third floor only. In May 2018, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors authorized the university to spend up to $200,000 for advance planning for this third floor renovation. During the course of planning, it became apparent that a comprehensive, full-building modernization would be required.

Status

For the programming phase, completed in early May 2022, LS3P developed schematic designs, or architectural renderings, for the project. LS3P created the designs after meeting with and interviewing various project stakeholders, including members of the Department of Art’s academic program areas, to determine their specific needs and incorporate those into the designs.

App State selected Muter Construction LLC, of Zebulon, North Carolina, as the Construction Manager at Risk for the project. Preparation work for the project’s renovation began in January 2023 and the project is slated for completion in summer 2025.

Preliminary demolition work for the building’s second and third floors began the week of Aug. 28, 2023, with 50% of the third-floor demotion and 10% of the second-floor demolition complete as of late September 2023. Demolition work for the building’s front lobby and stairs began the week of Sept. 11, 2023.

Wey Hall faculty and staff displaced by the renovation have been provided temporary office space in East Hall. Classes and labs are being accommodated in various academic buildings during the renovation.

How is it funded?

Renovation and modernization of the entire building is estimated to cost approximately $17 million and will include aesthetic improvements in addition to addressing all major building systems. In March 2019, the Board of Governors authorized App State to spend up to $2 million of the $17 million needed to create preliminary building designs, a process known as advance planning. LS3P was selected as the designer.

In the FY 2021–22 biennial budget bill signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper on Nov. 18, 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly allocated $15 million in renovation support for Wey Hall — this includes $10 million for renovating facility systems and $5 million for making repairs to the building’s roof and exterior.

App State has received an additional $4 million in state-allocated funding for the project; this inflationary adjustment is part of the FY 2023–24 biennial budget bill.

This project may also be funded with a combination of donations and carry forward funds.

Who will benefit?

Wey Hall houses the Department of Art, which offers more than 100 course sections to approximately 1,400 students. The building’s classrooms also are used by University College for General Education and First Year Seminar Courses.

How does it support UNC System Goals and Metrics?

Providing the best environment for teaching and learning, particularly for first-year students, can impact recruitment and retention.