Made possible by generous gifts from two families with a long history of commitment to the College—Fred and Alice Stanback and Greg and Missie Alcorn—the Smokestack Project will transform the former power plant into a hive of student activity.
Designed as both a gathering place and a “living-learning laboratory,” the new space will feature flexible study and meeting areas, modern dining with locally sourced options, technology-rich focus rooms, and a rooftop deck overlooking campus. Outfitted with sustainable furnishings and connected to Catawba’s campus-wide geo-exchange system, the Smokestack will model environmental responsibility while enriching the student experience.
For alumnus and trustee Greg Alcorn ‘79, the project represents the best of Catawba’s tradition and future.
“As an alum and co-chair of our comprehensive fundraising campaign, “Where our Good Goes,” I’m proud to see this vision take shape,” Alcorn said. “The Smokestack will give students a place to connect, collaborate, and create memories that last a lifetime. It’s going to be a symbol of what Catawba stands for: tradition and innovation, side by side.”
President David P. Nelson called the project “a powerful reminder of how generosity and vision can transform not only a building, but a campus.”
“We are grateful to the Stanback and Alcorn families for their profound support,” Nelson said. “This project will stand at the very heart of campus life, a place where students will be known, supported, and inspired to imagine a future defined by purpose and possibility.”
When completed in Fall 2026, the Smokestack will be the first Living Building in the region, meeting rigorous performance-based standards for sustainability that go beyond reducing harm to actively improving the world around it. A public dashboard will track its energy and water use, making the building a teaching tool as well as a gathering space.
The Smokestack is part of Catawba’s most ambitious slate of capital improvements in history—projects that include a new residence hall, renovations to Stanback and Salisbury-Rowan Halls, and a geo-exchange system connecting more than two dozen campus buildings. Together, they represent a $90 million investment in students, sustainability, and the College’s future.
While this rising tower once supplied the fuel that kept the lights on at Catawba, it will soon represent something far greater: the strength of a community and the promise of generations to come.
About Where Our Good Goes
Where Our Good Goes is Catawba College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, designed to expand opportunities for students, enhance academic and campus life, and strengthen the College’s impact on communities near and far. Grounded in Catawba’s mission of scholarship with character and culture for service, the campaign reflects the College’s enduring belief that when we invest in students today, their good will go far tomorrow.
