NC Central breaks ground on major campus improvements

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina Central University is adding multimillion-dollar buildings to its Durham campus.

The expansion is designed to accommodate and better serve the university's growing community of students, staff and faculty.

"These suite style unit apartments will expand our housing inventory, thus enhancing our ability to attract and retain more students from freshman year to senior," NC Central Chancellor Johnson Akinleye said.

Before groundbreaking ceremonies on Wednesday morning, ABC11 was able to preview the four buildings expected to open in the next two years.

Highlights of the development include:

• A $47 million replacement for the Alphonso Elder Student Union, at the corner of Nelson and Fayetteville Streets.
• Three new residence halls: Chidley South, Lawson Street and George Street, which will add 1,247 units to NCCU's available spaces for students who live on campus.

Freshmen, who are required to stay on campus at NC Central, should begin moving into the Chidley South and George Street halls in 2020, according to the university.

The Lawson Street residential hall and the new student center are scheduled to open in 2021.