A new building that has been a top priority of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, since before the recession, is in the works so long as North Carolinian citizens vote in favor of legislation that provides funds for building.

The building will be named the Allied Health Building, this new construction will be used primarily by the College of Health and Human Services, according to Assistant to the Chancellor Mark Lanier. The legislature had to take funds back when the great recession hit planning money for the project existed, so now the project relies on a bond package Governor Pat McCrory and the legislative body hopes to pass.

“The legislature and governor wants to put together a bond package to address the infrastructure needs of the state,” Lanier said. Passed by both the House and Senate, the bond package contains two billion dollars to address issues with university and community college needs, water and sewer issues, National Guard facilities, and state parks.

From the two billion dollar bond package, one billion will be distributed to universities across the state with 66 million going to UNCW.

The university systems in North Carolina are in need of newer facilities in order to educate and meet the growing demand for healthcare professionals, according to House Bill 943.

According to House Bill 943 the General Assembly believes the University of North Carolina system is in need of renovations “…especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math… for the purpose of enhancing the economic attractiveness of the State.”

At UNCW, enrollment for the College of Health and Human Services has grown by 85% between 2010 and 2015, and that growth is projected to continue according to Lanier. The university also anticipates that through this building, the university can address the healthcare workforce needs for North Carolina discussed in House Bill 943.

UNCW’s Allied Health building is actually ranked fourth by the state for Strategic Appropriated Capital Priorities. All of the other buildings on the list are either health science buildings or within the study of science, math, or engineering.

The bond issue calls for a vote from the citizens of North Carolina in March of 2016, and if it passes then the building has funding. North Carolina citizens will be voting to use state general funds rather than increase taxes to address these infrastructural needs.

If the bond package is not passed by voters in March of 2016, then the university would have to discuss appropriations with the legislation. Appropriations are grants of money and most buildings at UNCW have been built using state appropriations, Lanier said.

However, with funding and final designs to be decided, the university does have ideas as to how the building might look and where it could be placed on campus.

“The [Allied Health] building will be on the two parking lots that are in front of McNeill Hall and the Teaching Laboratory building,” Lanier said. “That will complete a health quad, which has been a concept for quite some time now and the building would cross over Chancellor’s Walk with a walk through on the first floor.”

The building will serve students within the College of Health and Human Services and probably also have space for students that are not studying health and human services that are required to take courses within the college. For example, biology and chemistry labs and classes that pertain to understanding the science of health might use spaces within the new building.

Other features discussed as possible installments were a new student veteran’s center to be supplemental to the veteran’s lounge in Warwick, a center for healthy living, student support space, and faculty office space.

 “As a nursing specific major our faculty do not have adequate offices, spaces and classroom,” said UNCW Junior and Nursing student Alex Taylor about the new building and how it stands to improve the major.

Taylor also mentioned how the new building stands to improve other majors within the College of Health and Human Services as more space will provide more room for research as well as a more centralized location for medical students, prerequisite classes, and advisors.

Though these ideas have been discussed, ultimately the programming of the building will be done after funding has been set. As well as programming, student input will be solicited once proper funding is set in place.