Community investments complement Reynolda Campus academic space plans

Dear Wake Forest Community, 

Since arriving at Wake Forest, I have made academic and campus space improvements one of my highest priorities. This academic year will continue to be one of investments and actions in service to that commitment. 

In this regard, there is progress on multiple fronts. I am writing to you today to connect my recent announcements of Reynolda Campus space investments with plans to redevelop Wake Forest-owned property for the good of our community. As first announced in August 2023, Wake Forest has partnered with the City of Winston-Salem and the development team of Carter and Front Street Capital to explore options for 100 acres of University-owned property east of the Reynolda Campus and adjacent to Allegacy Stadium, Couch Ballpark and the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Today, the Carter/Front Street teams announced plans for what will be known as “The Grounds” — a transformative mixed-use development and community hub with retail, residential, commercial and dining options in addition to community gathering and green spaces. 

Plans for The Grounds complement and support our near-term campus space planning. As I recently announced, three years of careful planning and research have positioned us to launch the most significant renewal of the Reynolda Campus core academic spaces since the University moved to Winston-Salem in 1956. We anticipate investing hundreds of millions of dollars over the next seven years to improve our academic and student facilities on the Reynolda Campus.

Our near-term campus space plan aims to create 35% more academic space and 50% more student gathering and dining space on the Reynolda Campus. This project will add 60 more offices, 20 more specialized teaching and research spaces, and more collaborative gathering space to support the College of Arts and Sciences.

The catalyst step in our Reynolda Campus transformation focuses on making Alumni Hall the future home to the departments of Philosophy, Education, and Computer Science and the Entrepreneurship program. Administrative offices currently in Alumni Hall will move to swing space in the University Corporate Center before becoming some of the first tenants in an office building that Carter/Front Street is planning to build as part of the first phase of redevelopment of The Grounds. Future Wake Forest tenants of this building would include Advancement, Marketing and Communications, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, and the Legal office. This new administrative cluster directly supports our work to decompress campus core buildings and enable academic and student-support space renewal projects. 

Connectivity between our Reynolda Campus and The Grounds is a high priority to ensure easy access to the new office and coworking spaces for Wake Forest employees. Other plans for The Grounds include: 

• A retail village populated by local and regional chef-driven restaurants, boutique shops with integrated patios, and plentiful outdoor community gathering spaces.
• A new “Deacon Walk,” a pedestrian corridor that will serve as a gateway to Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.
• Loft-style residential units and a residential community with amenities, greenspace views, and pedestrian access to the retail village.  
• Infrastructure improvements utilizing a $35 million grant allocated by the State of North Carolina to the City of Winston-Salem that include road and event traffic improvements, restoration of an eroded section of Silas Creek into a signature greenspace, and the construction of a paved, landscaped walking-path system to provide pedestrian connectivity to and throughout The Grounds and surrounding communities. 

These complementary initiatives – our investment in the Reynolda Campus academic core and the launch of The Grounds — affirm Wake Forest’s commitments to the three thematic goals articulated in the University Strategic Framework. Our near-term campus space plan will support our communities of learning and inquiry for faculty, students and staff. The Grounds strengthens our presence in and commitment to our community of partnerships across Winston-Salem. 

It is exciting to envision the positive momentum from this work, and I am grateful for the strong collaboration and creative efforts of so many to make these plans a reality. I look forward to sharing updates with you in the weeks and months ahead. 

Sincerely,

Susan R. Wente
President
Distinguished University Professor of Biology and Biochemistry