Horace Williams Airport will soon close, but academic innovation is scheduled to take flight with the construction of Carolina North early next year.
Parts of Carolina North, a satellite research campus, will be built where the airport currently stands on University-owned property off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
After nearly 15 years of discussion, the green light to begin construction on Carolina North came after delays caused by budget constraints.
Carolina North will include several research facilities, a new law school and housing.
The first research building and its infrastructure is estimated to cost $72.5 million, said Anna Wu, director of facilities planning at UNC.
The money will come from what the University makes on its leased properties, she said.
To ensure the area is safe to build on, specific actions need to be taken, said Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning.
“We’re developing a closure program, which will include adhering to the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration,” Runberg said.
“We’ll have to be taking a look at any environmental mitigation we have to do,” he said.