Centennial Campus is a research park and educational campus owned and operated by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Composed of two locations, the 1,334 acres (5.4 km2) property provides office and lab space for corporate, governmental and not-for-profit entities, in addition to providing space for 75 university research centers, institutes, laboratories and departmental units. Currently, 2,700,000 sq ft (250,000 m2) of constructed space has been built. Upon completion, Centennial Campus is anticipated to have 9,000,000 sq ft (840,000 m2) of constructed space.
In addition to holding office and lab buildings, Centennial Campus also has the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, a public fishing pier and lake (Lake Raleigh), greenway, disc golf course, and a residential complex, called The Greens. Centennial Campus is also home to the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center.
Location
Centennial Campus is located just south of NC State's main campus in Raleigh, bordering Avent Ferry Road and Centennial Parkway. The campus is approximately 15 miles (24Â km) east of Research Triangle Park and Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
History
The first tract of land 385 acres (1.6Â km2) was turned over to NC State University in 1984 by North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. The land was originally part of the state-owned mental health facility, Dorothea Dix Hospital. Another 455 acres (1.8Â km2) was turned over to NC State in 1985 by Governor James G. Martin. After the development of a Master Plan under the direction of Claude McKinney, dean of the School of Design, the first building was completed and occupied in 1989. The first corporate tenant, ABB, moved in during 1991. That same year, the College of Textiles moved to Centennial Campus. In 2000, the Centennial Biomedical Campus was established. Beginning in 2002, the College of Engineering began to relocate to Centennial Campus
Notable buildings
The James B. Hunt Jr. Library, which was completed in late 2012 and opened in January 2013, is the main library for Centennial Campus. The 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) Hunt Library, named for former N.C. Governor James B. Hunt Jr., was proposed partially to alleviate overcrowded conditions in university library spaces. It also houses an automated book retrieval system, called the "BookBot," and the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI), a public-policy organization. The NC General Assembly approved funding for the new library in 2007.
Also under construction is the 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m2) Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center. The Keystone Centennial Science Center, a 72,000 sq ft (6,700 m2) lab and office space complex, as well as Engineering Building III, were completed during the summer of 2010.
Funding sources for buildings
Buildings on Centennial Campus are funded in four ways: (1) state-appropriated funds; (2) university revenue bonds; (3) private development and (4) private fund raising.
Awards
Centennial Campus was named “Outstanding Research Park†in 2007 by the Association of University Research Parks (AURP).
Colleges
Four of NC State’s colleges have a major physical presence on Centennial Campus â€" the College of Textiles, College of Engineering, College of Education, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition, the Graduate School and the College of Engineering's Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) are located on the campus. During the academic year, approximately 3,400 students attend classes on the campus. With the completion of Engineering Building III, the centennial campus now includes the Department of Mechanical, Biomedical and Aerospace Engineering as well.
Partners and tenants
About 60 corporate, governmental and not-for-profit organizations are located on Centennial Campus. In order to lease space on the property, a prospective "partner" must have some programmatic connection to NC State, such as collaborative research with a faculty member or the use of students for internships or part-time work. Currently, about one-third of the partners are start-up or early stage companies, many located in Centennial's Technology Incubator. Another 20% are research and development units of large corporations and the rest are small businesses, state and federal agencies, and non-profits. Current partners include, ABB, GlaxoSmithKline, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Grifols and the National Weather Service's regional office. Centennial Campus is also home to the Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School, a Wake County public magnet school with 600 students.
Points of Interest
Research & training facilities
Centennial Campus houses the Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) and the Friday Institute for Innovative Education. BTEC provides education and training in biomanufacturing and bioprocessing involving simulated cGMP production of high-value biomolecules using cell growth and expression, recovery and purification processes. The Friday Institute conducts educational research, develops educational resources, provides professional development programs for educators, and acts as an advocate to improve teaching and learning. Centennial Campus is also home to the FREEDM Systems Center, one of the latest Gen-III Engineering Research Centers (ERC) established by the National Science Foundation in 2008 to develop technology to integrate the nation's power grid with renewable electrical energy technologies. Finally, Centennial Campus is home to the Larry K. Monteith Engineering Research Center, which houses several clean rooms.
Engineering Oval
The College of Engineering currently has six of its twelve academic departments housed in three Engineering Buildings. Engineering Building I, completed in 2004, houses Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. Engineering Building II, completed in 2005, houses Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering. Engineering Building III, completed in 2010, houses Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.
The first two of six university-owned housing buildings on the Oval, called "Wolf Ridge," and a university dining facility opened in August 2013.
When completed, the Engineering Oval will be an oval-shaped courtyard bounded by five Engineering Buildings, the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, and University Housing and Dining facilities.
Lonnie Poole Golf Course
The Lonnie Poole Golf Course is a par-71, 7,025-yard golf course designed by The Palmer Course Design Company. In addition to serving as a public golf course, the Lonnie Poole Golf Course is also home to the NC State men's and women's golf teams. The golf course opened to the public in 2009.
References
External links
- Centennial Campus website
- North Carolina State University
- Guide to Centennial Campus Photographs, 1979-2000
- Guide to Centennial Campus Records, 1974-2005
- Association of University Research Parks (AURP)
- International Association of Science Parks (IASP)
- Research Triangle Park
- National Science Foundation
- FREEDM Systems Center
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- College of Engineering
- College of Textiles
- Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC)
- Lonnie Poole Golf Course
