North Carolina Central University leaders celebrated the opening of four new buildings on its campus on Tuesday afternoon.

The COVID-19 pandemic delays the formal celebration activities and ribbon-cutting festivities.

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The $55.4 million NCCU Student Center officially opened in January and replaces the Alfonso Elder Student Center, which was built in 1968. The new student center is a 100,230-square-foot building and sits on the corner of Nelson and Fayetteville streets. The building seats up to 750 people for banquets and 1,100 people for a lecture setup.

NCCU also has three new residential halls: Lawson Street Residential Complex, Alston Avenue Apartments and George Street Residential Complex. The public-private partnership with Provident Resources Group Inc. has added a total of 1,274 new beds in semi-suite and apartment-style units. The Alston Avenue Apartments and George Street Residential Apartments opened in late 2020. The Lawson Street Residential Complex opened in January.

NCCU senior Andries Faison said she was excited about the buildings even though she won’t get to utilize them as much as younger students or live in the new residential halls.

“I am [still excited] because of the progressiveness of this university,” Faison said. “I’ve been here since 2018 and I’ve adored seeing the buildings change over time because growth is necessary in order for us to mature as a university.”
Faison said she was happy to see incoming students will be able to enjoy the new buildings. She said she thinks the new structures are showing the university is heading in the right direction.

“I’m ready to see what is going to happen next,” she said. “What else can we bring to the table that will make this university pop?”

NCCU sophomore Chris Gill-Harris lives in one of the new dorms now. He said it’s made a big difference compared to the old dorm he used to live in.

“I’m not going to lie, it was a big jump,” he said.

Derrick Stanfield is the NCCU student body president and a senior at the university.

“It’s definitely needed,” Stanfield said of the new buildings. “The students love them.”

Stanfield also had high praise for the new student center.

“I think that might be my favorite addition to our campus, the student center,” Stanfield said. “It’s really just a nice space for students to congregate.”

Stanfield also has a hometown perspective on NCCU’s growth.

“I’m also from Durham, so coming from that perspective, I can only imagine the students who have been driving down Fayetteville Street their entire lives and seeing NCCU grow,” Stanfield said. “So, this is definitely going to be something major for them.”

Stanfield said he believes the new additions also provides NCCU the opportunity to attract higher quality students.