Our History
For decades, Centennial Campus has been a hub of innovation for our university and beyond. See how it all began — and how we've evolved through the years.
Centennial Campus Timeline
NC State’s Centennial Campus was established in 1984 with a vision for a new kind of research, innovation and public-private partnership campus that would propel our university’s mission into its second century.
Today, we’ve grown into a vital economic engine for our city, region and state — and North Carolinians see the benefits in new startups, products, jobs and industries cultivated right here.
Follow our journey.
1983
Chancellor Bruce Poulton writes to Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. and University of North Carolina System President William C. Friday to explore the future of the Dorothea Dix Hospital property south of NC State’s campus.
1984
The Hunt administration allocates the first 355 acres of the vacated Dorothea Dix property to NC State.
1985
Governor James G. Martin’s administration allocates an additional 400 acres to NC State.
1986
The Centennial Campus master plan, led by former College of Design Dean Claude McKinney, is approved by the NC State Board of Trustees and UNC’s Board of Governors.
1987
Governor Martin and the Council of State unanimously approve the plan.
1988
The Precision Engineering Center becomes the first tenant in Centennial’s first occupied and dedicated building, Research I.
1991
The College of Textiles moves to Centennial Campus; ABB becomes Centennial’s first corporate partner.
1993
The National Weather Service becomes Centennial’s first government partner.
1994
Research III, one of the first university-owned buildings, opens.
1997
Montieth Engineering Research Center opens; Constructed Facilities Laboratory opens.
1999
Venture I, the first private development on Centennial, opens; Partners II, the first lab building, opens; startup companies are accepted into the Technology Incubator.
2000
The Centennial Biomedical Campus is established.
2001
The Spring Hill property, spanning 120 acres, is transferred to Centennial Campus.
2004
The College of Engineering begins its permanent move to Centennial.
2005
Centennial’s first residential units open.
2007
The Biotechnology Training and Education Center opens.
2009
The Lonnie Poole Golf Course opens. The course was designed by Arnold Palmer and the team at Arnold Palmer Design Company (including NC State alums Erik Larsen and Brandon Johnson), and it is home to our women’s and men’s golf teams.
2010
Keystone Science Center opens; construction begins on the James B. Hunt Jr. Library.
2013
Hunt Library and Wolf Ridge Apartments open.
2014
North Shore townhomes and The Greens at Centennial apartment community both open.
2015
Alliance One building opens; North Shore townhouses expand.
2017
Center for Technology and Innovation opens; Nonwovens Institute reopens; StateView Hotel and Conference Center opens.
2018
Fitts-Woolard Hall, NC State’s new 225,000-square-foot engineering innovation building, breaks ground; NC State receives a $28 million gift from alumnus Fred Wilson Jr. and his family to fund an endowment to support and name NC State’s College of Textiles, now known as the Wilson College of Textiles.
2019
N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative building breaks ground; Raleigh Founded, a coworking entrepreneurship incubator, opens.
2020
Fitts-Woolard Hall opens.
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