Dear Ferrum Family:

Many of you may know that the Ferrum College Board of Trustees approved the third version of a plan for community and economic development that will continue the College’s leadership role in improving its facilities and academic programs. Some of you attended a small group presentation last week, given by Mr. Dick Davis of Davis & Associates, the firm that has been helping us refine the plan since it was first approved by the Board in 1999. We have asked Mr. Davis to return to campus in mid-January to present the plan to the entire campus community. In the meantime, I would like to tell you about this plan and why it is so important to Ferrum College and our future.

Under the plan, the Farm Museum will be relocated to the north side of Route 40, contiguous to the Blue Ridge Institute, on land currently occupied by College maintenance facilities. The farm buildings have been in need of renovation for some time, and this work will be done in conjunction with the relocation of the structures. The historic character and cultural attractions of the Farm Museum will be carefully preserved through a master plan that will offer enhanced and expanded educational, programming and tourism opportunities. The annual Blue Ridge Folk Life Festival will continue, and will feature greater public accessibility to all of the many attractions and events that make the festival a favorite destination for tens of thousand of visitors every year.

The next stage of the plan will be the development of Blue Ridge Village, an aesthetically pleasing array of retail and service entities that will be built on College-owned land on the south side of Route 40 across from campus. Plans for Blue Ridge Village include a health center, grocery store, bank, restaurants and shops – ending the need to drive as much as 30 minutes to visit physicians, buy groceries, fill prescriptions and enjoy dining out.

Additional phases will include housing, which is so important to the recruitment of faculty and staff, as well as a golf course – an essential component of the plan that will also provide an opportunity for synergy with our Parks, Recreation and Tourism program, Ferrum Outdoors and Athletics. Together with the improvements and investments we are making in academic programs, buildings and student facilities through FerrumPLUS!, Blue Ridge Village will play a key role in our effort to recruit and retain qualified students, faculty and staff while providing amenities that will enhance the quality of life for everyone in the surrounding area.

This academic year saw the largest enrollment of new students in 12 years – nearly 400 enrolled at Ferrum in the fall, with total enrollment approaching the 1000 mark. To ensure the longevity of this trend, and to continue to attract students in a competitive environment, it is essential to have convenient services as an extension of our campus.
Blue Ridge Village will be connected to the campus and shops with a safe walkway for pedestrians. Architecture styles and landscaping will complement the existing campus buildings and the natural beauty of the area.

While details of the plan are still being defined, the College has begun discussions with outside developers who will take the commercial risk. Maury L. Carter, a Ferrum native and eight-year member of the Board of Trustees, is serving as an advisor for the project. As many of you know, Maury is a highly successful developer and the founder of Maury L. Carter & Associates Inc., an Orlando, Florida-based commercial real estate firm that will play a major role in helping develop the land and attract tenants.

Blue Ridge Village is just the latest Ferrum College contribution to the community. The College assisted in making land available for Ferrum Elementary School and has made its property available for a cellular telephone tower, a water storage tank and water and sewer lines that service the community. The College also has invested more than $20 million in major improvements and additions to the campus infrastructure.

The long-term vitality of the Ferrum community depends upon a strong and vibrant Ferrum College. Likewise, the College cannot succeed without a dynamic community. Blue Ridge Village represents a major step in ensuring that this longstanding relationship continues to flourish.

Within the next week, you will receive information on from Christine Stinson and Dean Browell on how to access a Web CT site where the entire plan will be posted. I look forward to your support of this important milestone in our history.

Sincerely yours,

Jennifer L. Braaten
President