ECU Millennial Campus
East Carolina University (ECU) Millennial Campus, also known as East Carolina Research and Innovation Campus (ECRIC), is a research park and educational campus owned and operated by East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is comprised of 328.35 acres divided over four separate sites. ECRIC is planned to have over 1,000,000 sq. ft. (92,903 m2) of renovated and constructed space that will serve research centers, laboratories, institutes, and departments of East Carolina University. Additionally, ECRIC will provide laboratory and office space for corporate, governmental and not-for-profit entities collaborating with ECU.
Location ECRIC includes four separate sites within the City of Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
The Warehouse District has 22.3 acres within the eight square blocks bounded by 10th Street, 12th Street, Washington Street, and CSX railroad line and the two square blocks bounded by 9th Street, 10th Street, Evans Street, and S. Charles Boulevard. Properties include historic structures as well as other buildings that may be renovated for use.
The Uptown Area has 19.04 acres comprised of six square city blocks bounded by 1st Street, 4th Street, Cotanche Street and Town Creek and the one square city block bounded by 4th Street, 5th Street, Reade Street and Town Creek. The Uptown Area property includes the Willis Building, an existing building which is home to the business incubator, Greenville SEED @ ECU.
The ECU Health Sciences Campus property includes 214.16 acres. The largest parcel area is bounded by 5th Street, Moye Boulevard, Heart Drive, and West Arlington Boulevard, and the area includes two undeveloped properties to the west of this area.
The Stratford Farms and Blount Fields properties total 72.85 acres and are proximate to ECUs athletic and human performance complex. It is found within the area bounded by Charles Boulevard, Greenville Boulevard, E Arlington Boulevard, Evans Street and 14th Street.
History
ECU was granted millennial campus status on April 10, 2015, by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. ECU Millennial Campus was the eighth millennial campus in the University of North Carolina System and was designated in accordance with North Carolina General Statutes 116-198 Article 21B.
On August 1, 2016, ECU issued a request for qualification for a historic buildings restoration project for up to three buildings in the ECU Millennial Campus Warehouse District. The request for qualifications anticipates a definitive agreement with a developer will be executed by December 31, 2018.
In 2016 ECU renovated space within the Willis Building in the Uptown Area of ECU Millennial Campus to house a business accelerator/incubator, Greenville SEED @ ECU. The City of Greenville, Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce, and ECU have partnered to develop and operate Greenville SEED @ ECU.
Notable buildings
The Warehouse District includes three historic tobacco buildings included in the National Historic Tobacco District. The three buildings are: American Tobacco Building, 1104 Clark Street, constructed in 1905 as a storage warehouse; Hughes-Pritchard Warehouse, northwest corner of West 11th Street and Pitt Street, built in 1905 for processing and storage; and Export Leaf Tobacco (Haynie) Building, 301 W 10th Street, constructed in 1914 as a processing plant.
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Export Leaf Tobacco Building
Funding sources for buildings
Buildings on Millennial Campus are funded in four ways: (1) state-appropriated funds; (2) university revenue bonds; (3) private development and (4) private fund raising.
Colleges
It is anticipated that all colleges of ECU will have programs linked to ECRIC. The College of Engineering and Technology is providing assistance and course instructors for the Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Capabilities Center, which will be located in the Export Leaf Tobacco Building. .
The Honors College encourages its students to participate in human design curricula, internships and special projects with industry, all of which are conducted with the ECCU Innovation Design Lab.
Partners and tenants
About 20 start-up companies are located on the ECU Millennial Campus in the business incubator facility, Greenville SEED @ ECU. Partners and tenants generally must have a nexus to ECU, such as collaborative research, student or faculty involvement, or licensed intellectual property.
Partnerships involving ECU’s Millennial Campus and external parties are coordinated through ECU’s Office of Regional Economic Development and Millennial Campus.
Exemplary partner programs
The Innovation Design Lab, a MakerBot Innovation Center, has offers programs regarding innovation design, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing. The Innovation Design Lab serves as the hub for many student projects with industry partners.
The Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Capabilities Center prepares incumbent workers & students through hands-on education/training in advanced manufacturing and design thinking/innovation processes to develop 21st century creative problem-solving leadership skills addressing challenges in the pharmaceutical and other industries.
The Innovation Design Lab and the Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Capabilities Center are component programs of the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Workforce Consortium.
The Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing Center of Excellence is a laboratory-based education and training network for the pharmaceutical industry. This center partners with major pharmaceutical companies, which have facilities in the State of North Carolina, and will serve many of the ECRIC partner companies.
References
1. North Carolina General Statutes Article 21B §116-198
External links
• East Carolina University website
• Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing Center of Excellence