Leaders break ground on new business school facility

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Marshall University broke ground on a brand new business school facility Wednesday morning.

University leaders are hoping to make the business school a flagship so they can attract more students and entrepreneurs to the university and to Huntington.

The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation will be located on the corner of 14th Street and 4th Avenue in downtown Huntington.

It’s an area many Marshall alumni might recognize, as they may have lived on the Flats on Fourth apartments, which were formerly in that same spot.

However, once students left, the area became very problematic causing the city of Huntington to tear it down.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams told WSAZ a vibrant city is always changing and having the new business school facility built on that property is a sign of progress for Huntington.

University leaders are now hoping the new building will strengthen capability in students while building a larger connection with downtown Huntington and the business community to benefit students, small business owners, and entrepreneurs in the region.

“This building is designed for innovation. [It] will allow the college of business to do that,” said Marshall University President-Elect Brad Smith. “It’ll be much more collaborative, much more experiential, much more wired and connected. It will give our students a contemporary education to go in to the world and make a huge impact.”

“This is huge for the region and for the state,” Williams added. “We’re going to have the opportunity to be able to create a culture that’s encouraging individuals not necessarily come out and be qualified for a job, but that they are gonna be taught how to create a job.”

Construction is set to begin in early 2022. The hope is to have the building completed by 2023, and open to students by Spring Semester 2024.