Heading into the upcoming academic year, Wofford and the surrounding community will be introduced to an extension of campus that has made a rather small introduction. The Hub will be added to help integrate the north side community with valuable space for gatherings and the new Wofford Bookstore.
At the Nov. 10, 2021, groundbreaking ceremony, Wofford’s Interim Provost Timothy Schmitz said the Wofford Bookstore within The Hub will not only sell textbooks and merchandise, but it will also be a new venue that extends into Wofford’s surrounding community.
In addition to the new Wofford Bookstore, The Hub will also feature a few other retail shops and restaurants, including Liability Brewing Company, Sully’s Steamers, Moe’s Original BBQ, Coffee Underground, World Piece, Franny’s Farmacy, V’s Barbershop, Rudy’s House of Spirit and 9Round fitness.
A courtyard for outdoor dining and gatherings will also be available for the public, as well as a couple of indoor dining options.
With the newly implemented places so close to campus, it will offer students a larger variety of meals than what is already available to them.
Along with the outdoor dining, there are also hopes of a firepit to attract crowds that go to The Hub to gather and be communal outdoors.
Many new features of the building are bound to come as more spaces are leased in the future.
David Alvis, associate professor of government and international affairs, was a leading force for the placement of Sully’s Steamers within the establishment.
Alvis had a connection with the brand owner, Robert Sullivan, and pushed him to lease one in The Hub due to its proximity to campus.
“It is the ideal location for such a place as this, and it is very popular among college-aged students,” Alvis
said.
While taking some credit for its placement, Alvis encouraged all students to take a look at their menu of steamed bagel sandwiches for future orders.
Wofford is looking into the use of Terrier Bucks at the new site, but the finalization of such decisions is not complete yet, as construction comes to a close later this fall.
According to the Fletcher Development group, the new site was the former site of the
Sunshine Inn, which had been owned by the North Side Development group since 2014.
The North Side was in need of redeveloping its surrounding areas, so this project was implemented to introduce a more cohesive environment for everyone.
$20,000 was given to Fletcher Development leading this initial project, along with various other groups to help with improving sidewalks/crosswalks and safety improvements surrounding the new establishment.
Such improvements will allow college students to get safely back and forth from the college to enjoy a nice meal or break in their day, while being amongst the community.
Parking will also be available and consistent with the city code per square footage of the space.
“The building is a normal development and we are leasing the space and are the anchor tenant for the Wofford Bookstore,” said Nayef Samhat, Wofford’s president.
The Hub is located at 578 North Church Street, right around the corner from the newer student apartments known as the North Side apartments and the Bon Haven apartments.
The grand opening of the site was scheduled for the end of summer 2022, but was delayed slightly into the fall semester because of supply chain shortages in the surrounding areas.