From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Asheville has announced “a new partnership with a real estate consulting firm to establish and guide the university’s Millennial Campus Development Commission,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on Nov. 11.

The firm, HR&A, will “provide facilitation, support and guidance for the formation and administration” of the commission, according to a news release from UNCA on Nov. 11. HR&A has previously worked with other institutions within the UNC System.

“We did not have a relationship with HR&A before this,” UNCA Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said in the release. “They’ve worked with NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, and NC A&T. We always look to known partners with a strong track record within the UNC System.”

The new commission aims to play a central role in ensuring that future development projects on its Millennial Campus properties align with the university’s priorities and benefit the community, UNCA noted.

“We wanted to let everybody know that we’ve had to adjust our timeline for work with the commission we’re forming to advise us on potential developments for the South Campus and Broadway properties,” van Noort stated. “We wanted to make sure we did this right, that it was impactful, thoughtful and well-conceived.”

The university recently confirmed that the timeline for the Millennial Campus project has been extended to give HR&A more time to work with campus leadership and community members before the commission begins its work.

UNCA noted that the first phase, which began in October, focuses on gathering input from university leaders and community members to define the responsibilities and overall framework of the commission. That phase is expected to conclude by early December.

The second phase, which will last from three to five months, will include facilitating commission meetings and expanding community engagement, with the aim of developing and delivering an “actionable set of findings and recommendations,” the UNCA release stated.