Central Piedmont is excited to announce that the Parr Center, its new hub of student life on Central Campus, has opened its doors!

The 183,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility was built with Mecklenburg County bonds and other funds and was designed by Morris Berg and Moody Nolan Architects, with construction management services provided by Rodgers and R.J. Leeper Construction. It is the largest building constructed in the 59-year history of the college.

The new facility features:

• the Hagemeyer Library, a 21st-century library including a maker space, podcasting and green screen rooms, and abundant study spaces, both inside and outdoors;
• a Student Union, with Welcome Center, Admissions, Students Services, Testing Center, Advising Services, Student Engagement, Mentoring & Coaching programs, and International programs; 
• Academic Success Center; 
• a theater with seating for 450; 
• the Dove Art Gallery; 
• student commons with a collaborative stair; 
• food services, featuring Catalyst Coffee Bar, rotating grab-n-go items, and a dining area; 
• multiple outdoor/rooftop terraces; 
• six multipurpose rooms; 
• collaboration/group-study rooms – available for use by students, faculty, and staff; and
• redeveloped quad space, designed for outdoor programming. 

“With its prominent location on Elizabeth Avenue, the Parr Center is destined to become the new front door to Central Campus and its signature building,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president, Central Piedmont. “We can’t wait for students to take advantage of this new college resource, designed to transform the way we serve our students and help them achieve their academic and professional goals.”

The Parr Center, named for college benefactors Wilton L. and Mary W. Parr and their generous support of Central Piedmont and its students over many years, is located on the footprint of two previous college structures – the Terrell Building and the Hagemeyer Learning Resource Center. The Parr Center’s positioning allowed the college to expand the size of the main quad and provides striking new architecture along Elizabeth Avenue, the main street through Central Campus.