North Carolina Central University Selects Balfour Beatty US, Holt Brothers and Structure to Build New $36 Million Student Center
North Carolina Central University (NCCU), in Durham, NC, has selected Balfour Beatty US, Holt Brothers and Structure to build a new student center on the university’s main campus. Founded in 1909, North Carolina Central University’s vision is to be known for academic excellence in a diverse cultural and educational environment.
North Carolina Central University’s new $36 million student center facility is critical toward meeting the universities’ current and future needs in alignment with many of its strategic priorities, including retention and graduation; enhancing academic distinction and distinctiveness; community engagement; and teaching, learning and research.
As a team, the joint venture of Balfour Beatty and Holt Brothers Construction has partnered with the Structure Building Company to help the university meet its diversity and inclusion goals. Together, the three contractors offer extensive higher education construction experience on projects previously completed for NCCU and universities throughout the state. With a strong local and committed project leadership team, the combined Balfour Beatty, Holt Brothers and Structure project team has historical knowledge of the campus, strong working relationships with the design team and a community service mentality that aligns with the university’s mission.
Designed by O’Brien Atkins, Duda-Paine and MHTN Architects to create a multi-purpose gathering spot, the new student center will replace the existing Alphonso Elder Student Union and include a large flexible gathering space with seating up to 1,000 for conferences and banquets. The 100,000-square-foot building will house small and medium-size conference rooms, administrative offices for student union operations and office space for student organizations. In addition, it will offer food services, public computer stations and serve student convenience needs.
“We’re honored to be North Carolina Central University’s construction partner in delivering this fully functional student center,” said Johnny Rankin, executive vice president for Balfour Beatty and joint venture project representative. “In addition to our past experience working with both NCCU and the design team, we have a solid track-record of successfully delivering projects in the Carolinas market. We take pride in our ability to deliver innovative learning environments and are committed to provide maximum value on this project.”
The Balfour Beatty, Holt Brothers and Structure team will utilize its proven six-step minority business plan to meet or exceed the stated 30 percent historically underutilized business (HUB) subcontracting goal. This is the second project on the NCCU campus in which Balfour Beatty has partnered with Structure Building Company, a HUB/MWBE firm.
“This project is more than just building a beautiful student union center, it is about building a brighter future for the institution that has already built a strong foundation to exist and thrive. North Carolina Central University is known for its rich traditions and history, but it is the university’s families that make its history more valuable and substantive. NCCU is certainly a place to receive a world-class education, but for many, it’s also a family affair,” said Jonathon Farrar, president of Structure Building Company.
