Editor’s note: Alicia Knight is Associate Vice Chancellor University Real Estate & Development, NC State University. Contacted by WRAL TechWire, she provided the following insight about the future of NC State’s Centennial Campus after the university received rezoing approval for new development of the campus from the Raleigh City Council earlier this week.
RALEIGH – Centennial Campus is a nationally known destination for partnership and collaboration among leaders in business, research and education; it is this strong foundation upon which we will build future campus growth and academic success.
Alicia Knight (NCSU photo)
Future development on Centennial Campus will present additional opportunities for NC State to further its academic and research endeavors. We will also have the opportunity to continue establishing meaningful partnerships that bring value to private partners while fulfilling the university’s mission. This is a win-win – and the type of value proposition that Centennial Campus provides.
The rezoning is first and foremost rooted in NC State’s continuous pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and public/private partnership on its Centennial Campus. The rezoning establishes a broad framework for an urban learn/live/work/play environment on the campus, aligned with the academic and research activities of NC State. The opportunities presented through the rezoning will help NC State advance its mission and bring benefits both locally and statewide.
Big changes are coming for NC State’s Centennial Campus with rezoning OK from city
In addition to outlining categories of potential land uses in support of the Centennial Campus vision, the rezoning outlines maximum height and square footage parameters for various districts on the campus; maintains open spaces; and reinforces public connectivity to recreation areas on Centennial Campus, including Lake Raleigh and the Lake Raleigh Woods.
A map of the Centennial Campus rezoning plan.
The rezoning provides a framework for the university to make future decisions about the development of its campus within the broadly defined zoning parameters, while translating legacy zoning conditions into a more modern framework aligned with the City of Raleigh’s current Unified Development Ordinance. The zoning framework does not call out specific building locations, footprints or programmatic uses; nor is it representative of a specific plan for development for the campus moving forward.
Further, the rezoning lays the groundwork for the creation of the North Oval Innovation District project, which is envisioned as a premier destination for university and industry collaboration at the physical convergence of academia and private industry on Centennial Campus. A timeline for this project has not yet been finalized.
Inside Centennial Campus rezoning request – Here’s what NCSU wants
