NCSSM’s Joiner Hall reconstruction taking longer than expected

Despite additional excavation work that delayed reconstruction of the nearly 100-year-old Joiner Hall on the NCSSM-Morganton campus, the site is back on track with crews installing new windows this week. The crew has about 40 more windows to install. 

According to Chad Barrow, director of capital projects and Morganton facilities management, the construction process for Joiner hasn’t been an easy road. Due to a few unforeseen conditions involving waterproofing where builders had to excavate and add more concrete. 

“Things like that are structural and involve life safety … is something we have to do,” Barrow said.

Issues of this nature stretch the budget and push out the completion date, says Barrow. Back in February, the building’s overhaul was expected to be finished by the end of the year. The new date is March 2025. 

“It’s not until you really start building it, demoing it, and working with it that you realize this is a problem and thankfully we have responsible contractors that are not just going to cover this up. They’re going to ask this question, “Is it sound, is it safe, and can we continue?” Barrow said. 

Joiner Hall stands at 19,000 square feet and will house an art space, for 2D and 3D art, with a general-use classroom on the bottom floor.

On the second floor, a large, central open space will be available for student functions. Two classrooms, a data science computing lab, and a general computing lab for computer science or art history students are also planned. Barrow says he believes this area will be the most popular.

Level three will house a boardroom with a faculty hub, breakroom, small focus rooms, a professional development room, and a classroom for faculty or students. 

The North Carolina General Assembly allotted $8 million toward the building’s reconstruction. Joiner Hall, named for deaf education pioneer Enfield Joiner, was built about 1930 to accommodate the growing needs of the North Carolina School for the Deaf. Joiner sits behind NCSSM’s main academic building.  

About 150 yards away, construction for the brand-new Student Wellness and Activities Center (SWAC) began early summer. SWAC will be home to comprehensive health and wellness programming and will feature a health clinic, counseling clinic, fitness and recreation, athletic training, and a full-court gymnasium with an indoor track. Construction should be complete in September 2025.