Construction for Summit Hall exceeded the $30 million project budget given to the Planning, Design and Construction department by Student Development, Project Manager David Sweet said.

However, Sweet was unable to provide an exact number because the residence hall’s contract was “complicated.”

Under the contract, designs are still in progress as the Fixed Guaranteed Maximum Price is decided, he said.

Sweet said the work after the FGMP and the bad market are two of the main reasons the project went over budget.

Despite the upfront cost, getting the building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is worth the price, Sweet

Summit was built to be LEED certified, although it has not been certified yet, Director of Sustainability Ged Moody said.

In 2007, the university’s Board of Trustees created a policy stating all new buildings and major renovations have to be LEED certified, according to sustain.appstate.edu.

“By living in one of these LEED certified dorms, we want to be providing an education on what a sustainable and energy efficient building looks like,” Moody said.

Moody said he hopes LEED certified buildings create a sense of partnership between the occupants and the building in order to educate on sustainability.

Appalachian’s role is to educate, so it’s important that dorms are LEED certified or compliant, Moody said.

By choosing to build these types of buildings, decision-makers have chosen to make a leadership decision that is good for our environment and hopefully, over time, good for the students’ pockets too,” said Crystal Simmons, university sustainability specialist.

Story: KELLI STRAKA, News Editor