CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A major new hub of activity for West Virginia State University is coming to the heart of downtown Charleston.
WVSU President Ericke Cage joined Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin and other local officials Monday to announce the future site of WVSU Downtown.
While currently it’s an empty space in the first and lower floor of the Kanawha Banking and Trust Building located at 107 Capitol Street, it will soon be transformed into a center for academic and social activity for the university.
President Cage told Metro News obtaining the building had been a goal of the university for nearly half of a year now, and it’s a perfect fit for downtown opportunities and culture which they were striving to play a bigger role within.
“We really wanted to find a space that would connect us to downtown Charleston, a space that has history and prominence, and this space checks all of those boxes,” Cage said.
The university announced plans today for WVSU Downtown, a new center to be located at 107 Capitol St. in the heart of downtown Charleston. President Ericke Cage was joined by Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin in making the announcement at the future site of the center. pic.twitter.com/iSoeueOnwc
— West Virginia State University (@WVStateU) April 10, 2023
The future academic programming and social engagement that will be held in the new downtown center for WVSU is also expected to converge with economic and student growth, an opportunity which Chair of Board of Governors at WVSU, Mark Kelley said is critical in addressing the national downwards trend of student enrollment.
“We have to right size and we have to shift our priorities to focus on attracting today’s students,” Kelley said.
Mayor Goodwin said the center is just another addition of forward development the city is currently seeing.
“We are seeing such great, positive momentum of change happening downtown in the City of Charleston,” said Goodwin.
She said having the increased presence of college students downtown will only add to that growth.
“I want them downtown, I want our youth back downtown, it’s such an amazing opportunity,” Goodwin added.
Along with current students, WVSU Downtown will also serve as a hub of opportunity for the nearly 10,000 WVSU alumni throughout the Kanawha Valley, as it will reconnect them through different programs and events the center will be host to.
Monday’s announcement is the kickoff to a week’s worth of events the university is holding in celebration of Cage’s inauguration as the 13th president of WVSU. He said the new center is a big step forward for the future of the university.
“I believe this is the next evolution of the West Virginia State University story, an opportunity for us to continue to advance our mission of transforming lives through education and improving our community,” Cage said.
Renovation work for the center is set to begin in the near future and a planned opening date is scheduled for the fall.