UNC-Chapel Hill and Town of Chapel Hill leaders announce a new university partnership with startup co-working pioneer BioLabs, downtown beautification initiatives, next steps for an innovation hub space, and plans for a downtown innovation district.
The recent return of students to Chapel Hill – and the added buzz of activity that they bring to downtown – aren’t the only changes you’re likely to notice around town this fall. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz and Town of Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger today announced during a Chancellor’s Economic Development Council meeting a series of steps that the University and town are taking to increase the economic vibrancy of downtown Chapel Hill. The announced actions are next phases in the university-town partnership and joint Carolina Economic Development Strategy, which was launched in the spring. The strategy is designed to create a downtown innovation district that will retain, attract and grow more innovation-oriented companies and talent in Chapel Hill. This effort is led by Innovate Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill’s initiative for innovation and entrepreneurship, and two town-gown committees comprised of University, town and community leaders.
“Downtown is at an exciting inflection point, and leaders in our local Carolina community have made great progress in shaping the vision and objectives we share into initiatives that will make a real economic impact,” said Guskiewicz. “The work that the town and University are doing together will build on critical projects such as the redevelopment of downtown’s largest office building, opening a modern central parking structure and expanding outdoor dining.”
Key initiatives of the Carolina Economic Development Strategy include downtown beautification, planning an innovation district and launching an innovation hub in downtown Chapel Hill.
Explore the strategy“It is exciting to see that the steps we have taken to bolster office space and infrastructure are yielding near-term results that support our shared vision of creating a thriving innovation hub,” said Hemminger. “Bringing new year-round employees here is just one component of our plan to harness the energy of UNC, retain talent in our community and make downtown Chapel Hill a more welcoming and exciting place for everyone in our community.”
Updates announced by Guskiewicz, Hemminger and other leaders included:
“UNC-Chapel Hill and the Town of Chapel Hill have always had enormous potential to develop an innovation district built around the University’s expansive research portfolio and innovation pipeline in the life sciences industry,” said Eric Linsley, co-founder of BioLabs NC. “Our new partnership with the University is a key step to helping unlock this potential because we have deep expertise cultivating biotech startups in other top-tier life science innovation districts across the U.S. We are excited to collaborate with the many partners in Chapel Hill who will be key to our collective success in creating more companies that will take off and grow in the area.”
The University will start recruiting alumni, business and research partners to co-locate in Chapel Hill once the innovation hub’s location is selected – an effort that will expand once the development strategy for the innovation district is completed.
The University’s actions are being coordinated by the Chancellor’s Economic Development Council, a committee of academic and business unit leaders led by Doug Rothwell, a Carolina alumnus nationally recognized for his economic development work, and Sheryl Waddell, interim director for economic development with Innovate Carolina.