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UNCChapel Hill Launches Largest-Ever Carolina North Expansion, Approves $8 Million for Planning

The move targets growth in STEM research capacity alongside higher undergraduate enrollment.

Overview

  • UNC will develop about 230 acres at Carolina North into a mixed-use satellite campus with academic, research, housing and retail space.
  • A trustee committee authorized $8 million for advance planning, with requests for qualifications expected in spring 2026 for a master developer and infrastructure design.
  • Groundbreaking is targeted for 2027 at the former Horace Williams Airport as part of a phased, multi-year buildout.
  • The initial phase prioritizes roughly 2,200 student beds to support a goal of enrolling about 5,000 additional undergraduates over the next decade.
  • Funding will combine university trust funds, possible state appropriations, revenue-backed financing, private philanthropy and third-party investment, while the men’s basketball arena decision remains unresolved and contested.