Marshall University’s college of business’ location has officially been designated to the block of 1400 4th Ave., once again widening the university’s footprint in Huntington. 

The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation will begin construction in early 2022, with plans of opening for students and practice in Spring, 2024, according to Archambault. 

The university’s multimillion-dollar project to develop a new building for the school of business will accommodate students, virtual or in-person, with spaces and tools for collaboration and activities. 

“Through the technology and the rooms, we’ll make them more capable of going virtual,” Dr. Jeff Archambault, associate dean of the school of business, said. “We are really building in more student space. I think the faculty’s office space will be much more accessible to everybody.”  

The new space will feature a large public forum space, classrooms, computer labs, and a 360-seat auditorium funded via a $1.8 million donation from the Encova Foundation of West Virginia.  The new location will extend Marshall’s recourses and influence, using the entirety of the block’s space. 

“We’re really trying to coordinate, develop business down the corridor there,” Archambault said. “Hope that expands out and connects downtown to Marshall.” 

The project will serve on the location of the retired “Flats” apartment complex. 

The new building is being constructed with funds gathered from a variety of donations and other school recourses. Particular star donators are Brad and Alys Smith, whose $25 million donation has played a big role in the building’s construction, so the facility will be named after Brad Smith. 

Construction of the new facility will be left to Fairmount Properties, based in Ohio.