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phases are being funded with $2.5 million in City bond funds, $2 million in private contributions and a
$500,000 grant.
The Visitor’s Center, a 5,100 square foot building located on eleven acres, opened in spring 2014, completing
Phase I. Future phases of this project are planned to include a Japanese garden and rain garden, as well as a
venue for special events.
In December 2011, the
Gateway University Research Park
opened the Joint School of Nanoscience and
Nanoengineering
(JSNN)
also in east Greensboro. The 105,000 square foot, $65 million building houses the
most significant academic collaboration to date between UNC-Greensboro and NC A&T State University.
The program and the building itself were designed to foster interaction among the students and across
specialties such as biology, engineering, and technology. The JSNN offers graduate degrees in nanoscience
and nanoengineering which is expected to generate as much as $500 million in economic activity. The school
has also formed the Nanomanufacturing Innovation Consortium, a partnership between JSNN and area
businesses, which has grown to twenty-five members. In June 2014, NC A&T researchers announced that
they signed a licensing agreement with a Toronto firm, Xemerge, who recently opened an office near JSNN,
to develop a commercial application for a hypoallergenic peanut developed by the university in research
funded with a federal grant.
Since September 2014,
NC A&T
has ranked number one as the largest historically black college and
university in the country, up from the number two spot in 2013. Fall 2016 enrollment numbers place NC A&T
at 11,150 students. NC A&T has set an enrollment goal of 13,500 students by 2020.
A downtown university campus concept has made significant progress in FY 2015, with formation of
Union
Square Campus, Inc.,
a nonprofit tasked with developing the first phase of the campus, a $37 million
healthcare-related project jointly planned by NC A&T State University, University of North Carolina -
Greensboro, Guilford Technical Community College and Cone Health. The educators and healthcare
professionals are constructing a four-story 85,000 square foot building to house their Bachelor and Doctor of
Nursing programs and a simulated surgical lab. A 7.5 acre site was selected in Greensboro’s South Elm
Redevelopment area, of which 2 acres will be donated by the City for this first phase of the project. Phase I
construction of the facility began in April, 2015 and the facility opened in August, 2016. City leaders also
authorized funding up to $500,000 in other infrastructure improvements as well as building parking spaces
associated with the building. Phase II of the project will focus
on global business among other areas of economic development
interest, including an adjoining office and retail space, a
conference hotel and nearby apartments. As envisioned, the
fully developed project would involve seven educational
institutions in Greensboro and would be funded with public,
private and state and federal grant contributions. The estimated
long-term economic impact of this project is more than $500
million, according to a recent economic analysis study.
In 2013,
Lenovo
announced plans to build all of its Think-brand PCs and other products for the U.S. market
in Guilford County, adding 115 jobs for a total of 300 employees at the Triad facility. The 240,000 square
foot plant held its grand opening in June 2013 and presented 36 Think Center PC systems manufactured at the
facility to a Greensboro YMCA for youth development and education purposes. This business site location
further strengthens the region’s high-tech company presence. Lenovo has operated in Whitsett since 2008,
including a logistics center, customer solutions center and national returns center. Company management has
also discussed the possibility of manufacturing smart phones at this location.
In FY 2011, Greensboro annexed 145 acres east of the City for an
American Express Data Center
. The data
center is complete and began processing data in February 2012. The Greensboro region is well-suited for
sizeable computing centers due to the significant electric power grid developed in previous years to