Montreat College begins development of Black Mountain campus

Sections of property to be closed to public as grading and preparation for infrastructure commences

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 13, 2026

Grading and preparation for infrastructure on the 89-acre Montreat College Black Mountain Campus are underway and expected to continue through early 2027. That initial work on Phase 1 of the project includes the construction of an entrance on Blue Ridge Road. Photo by Fred McCormick

Site preparation for development of the 89-acre Montreat College Black Mountain Campus, anticipated to continue through early next year, marks the beginning of a construction project that is expected to culminate with the opening of a cybersecurity center in the fall of 2028.

The initial steps of the first phase of the master plan, announced by the nearly 110-year-old private Christian college in 2023, will focus on building an entrance on Blue Ridge Road and involve grading and support for future roads and infrastructure. The four-year institution, with a current enrollment of 929 full-time equivalent students, has received $38 million in state funding since 2018 to support the development and construction of the regional facility.

Montreat College acquired most of its Black Mountain campus, built in the early 20th century for use as a private estate before operating as an Episcopalian summer camp for over four decades, in the summer of 2001. Known as IntheOaks, the site is home to a historic 24,000-square-foot manor house constructed by the first vice president of the General Electric Co., Franklin Silas Terry, and his wife Lillian Estelle Slocomb Emerson.

The college completed the construction of a $2 million athletic facility on the southeast corner of the property in 2016 and currently operates its Outdoor Recreation Studies program on the campus, which also contains an athletic administration building.

One of the objectives of the current development, according to Montreat College President Dr. Paul Maurer, is to establish a primary entrance on the west side of the property, diverting traffic from the residential neighborhood surrounding the eastern entrance. State grants funded the completed design of the roads that are now under construction, while design work for the academic building remains ongoing.

“We are always focused on being a good neighbor. As the college has grown, our use of the Black Mountain Campus has increased, leading to additional traffic through what is otherwise a residential neighborhood,“ he said in an email. “Once the new entrance is completed, the entrances off Vance Avenue will be closed to general traffic and restricted to emergency vehicles and official college use – all other student and visitor traffic will be routed to the Blue Ridge Road entrance. This will significantly reduce day-to-day college traffic on Vance Avenue.”

Work done in the beginning stages of the first phase of construction on the Montreat College Black Mountain Campus will establish a new main entrance, diverting traffic away from the gate on Vance Avenue. Photo by Fred McCormick

The master plan for the Black Mountain campus depicts an access road from Blue Ridge Road, directing vehicles east along the southern edge of the railroad tracks, before winding south, then west, toward the planned site that will house the college’s business and cybersecurity academic units and a new location for the Carolina Cyber Center with an adjacent parking lot. Upon completion, the “C3” will facilitate programs designed to support workforce development and provide cybersecurity for businesses, while hosting leaders in the field. The college’s goal is to begin constructing the complex in 2027, according to Maurer.

The surrounding estate, which has been open for public use since it was acquired by the college, is a popular destination for trail runners, hikers and dog-walkers. Active construction zones will be restricted during development, while other areas of the property will remain accessible.

“We also know members of the public enjoy walking our campus trails. Provided there are no issues with property damage or safety concerns, we do not see an immediate need to close our campus to the public,” Maurer said. “As shown in the master plan, we will connect new campus trails and paths to existing greenways to enhance the overall trail system. However, due to construction, many of the trails are now closed to pedestrians.”

The college intends to continue a fundraising campaign, launched last summer, supporting the restoration and preservation of the manor house. Work on the IntheOaks event venue, which will host weddings, corporate events and private gatherings upon completion, is anticipated to begin next year, according to the president.

Supplying the workforce with graduates trained in protecting internet-connected systems and data has been a growing focus for Montreat College throughout Maurer’s tenure. It’s cybersecurity program was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2017, and the Christian liberal arts college is one of the founding institutions in the Carolina Cyber Network, which has grown to include nearly two dozen members and provides professional development opportunities for teachers in the field and hands-on training for students.

Expanding the college’s educational capabilities and bringing a regional center to Western N.C. represents a path to growth and increased leadership, nationally and internationally, according to Maurer, who added the need for competent, ethical professionals in the field continues to grow each year. The program supporting those increasing demands marks a key driver of growth for the college, which faced financial hardships 12 years ago, before a proposed merger with a private Georgia university failed. A pledge of $6 million from an anonymous donor in March of 2014 helped stabilize the college and preceded the arrival of the president the following summer. Maurer soon developed a strategy that incorporates Christ-centered ethics into a cybersecurity curriculum and oversaw the launch of the Carolina Cyber Center, currently operating on its main campus in Gather Hall, through a public-private partnership in 2020.

The cybersecurity educational program now represents the second-largest operated by the college, which reported the largest incoming class in its history in the fall of 2024 and serves nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

“Through C3 and Montreat College, we seek to expand training for these cybersecurity professionals at any stage of their careers,” Maurer said. “We also want to improve the cybersecurity posture, awareness and defenses at businesses, organizations, governments and municipalities and nonprofits in N.C. through workforce development and cyber and IT service support.”

The presence of a regional hub in the Swannanoa Valley for leaders and future generations of employees within the growing industry will support economic development in the area, he added, noting conferences, retreats and events on the Black Mountain campus will likely lead to increased revenue for local businesses.

While the planned cybersecurity center will serve as the catalyst for future development of the site, which includes a second phase proposing student housing, followed by additional athletic facilities in the final phase, work beyond the 2028 opening of the cybersecurity center has not been scheduled. Initiation and completion of the subsequent phases of the master plan will depend largely on priorities and funding, according to Maurer.