North Carolina is among five states being considered for a massive $450 million federal research facility, and the state's public universities are emerging as key players in the lobbying effort.
The Department of Homeland Security has identified a site in Granville County, about 25 miles northeast of Chapel Hill, as a potential location for a planned National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.
"This is considered to be a federal research crown jewel," said Kimrey Rhinehardt, UNC-system vice president for federal relations. "It would be comparable to the CDC in Atlanta."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is an internationally renowned government research facility that deals with some of the world's most dangerous human pathogens.
The proposed Homeland Security facility would be comparable in mission, but would focus on threats to agricultural and animal health.
"We're not just talking about cattle getting hoof-and-mouth disease and us not being able to eat hamburgers," Rhinehardt said. "It's about figuring out ways to protect our food supply and our national health."
North Carolina's campaign to woo federal officials is drawing heavily on the UNC system and its research campuses.
N.C. State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has been leading that campaign, and Chancellor James Oblinger said he is thrilled with the potential impact.
"It would be a huge infusion of capital, but it's more than just the money," he said. "It's about the science and about the research."
Building the facility in Granville County would open up research opportunities in a range of fields, and departments at Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State are closely watching the debate.
Sites in Texas, Kansas, Georgia and Mississippi are also in the running, but the N.C. lobbying consortium is hoping the Granville location will prove too good to pass up.
The land being offered is already owned by the state, as is the surrounding area.
"For security reasons and other things, that has some benefit," said David Potenziani, a dean in UNC-CH's School of Public Health.
For local officials, the site has the potential to bring in millions of dollars in construction revenue and billions in long-term investments.
Brian Alligood, Granville County manager, said local residents have been very supportive of the project.
The town of Butner, near the proposed site, historically supports large federal facilities. It is already home to a collection of federal prisons.
Despite the fact that the facility will be dealing with high-risk biological agents, Alligood said there has been no local outcry.
"The CDC has stuff like that sitting in the middle of Atlanta, in heavily, densely populated areas," he said. "Is there any overwhelming concern? Not from my standpoint."
A public forum will be held Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at South Granville High School, and officials from the Department of Homeland Security will be on hand to hear comments.
It's expected to take the federal government about 15 months to decide the facility's location.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
