More than two years after Pillowtex closed in July 2003, a major public-private research initiative is being developed that will transform the site of the former manufacturing company into what is billed as a national leader in biotechnology research.

The plan, known as the North Carolina Research Campus, will use research initiatives from institutions within the University of North Carolina, Dole Food Company, and other private research companies.

Once fully operational, the campus will include more than one million square feet of office and laboratory space, as well as 350,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and 700 residential units. All of that will be housed on the Pillowtex site, which was purchased in December by David H. Murdock, who owns Dole Food Company.

“The most exciting part of this project is to be able to create sustainable, better-paying jobs for the people of Kannapolis and the region, and the creation of this scientific community centered on biotechnology will allow a transformation of this economy from a manufacturing-based one to one centered on scientific knowledge and research,” Murdock said.

Most of the research on the campus will focus on three areas — health, nutrition, and wellness — Murdock said. Research conducted in those areas will be performed by university-led research centers.

“This initiative advances our three-part mission of teaching, research, and public service — and in the process gives new meaning to the terms ‘collaborative’ and ‘multi-disciplinary,’” UNC President Molly Broad said. “It underscores our commitment to foster statewide economic development and technology transfer — and demonstrates a new level of our commitment to serve the needs of the entire state.”

UNC-Chapel Hill plans to operate the UNC Institute for Excellence in Nutrition. The center’s research will focus on the relationship between nutrition and the brain, obesity, and cancer. Once completed, UNC-Chapel Hill will use about 120,000 square feet in space. The research will involve the school’s Department of Nutrition.

“We want to leverage our considerable research strengths in obesity, nutrition, and disease prevention, creating jobs and improving the lives of all North Carolinians,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser said. “Ultimately, we hope to involve faculty and departments from across campus to make this another example of how our interdisciplinary approach to problems can pay dividends for the state’s citizens.”

North Carolina State will operate the Institute for Advanced Fruit and Vegetable Science, which will aim to develop technology to improve economic and horticultural potential for fruit and vegetable production in the Southeast. The facility will include a 50,000-square- foot laboratory and research building and a100,000 square feet of greenhouse facilities.

Both the UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State projects will be assisted by research from UNC-Charlotte. UNC-Charlotte will also head the formation of a private mathematics and science residential high school for girls from across the nation. The school will enroll 120 students who have reached their junior or senior year of high school. The school aims to increase the number of girls who are interested in math and science as a possible career.

“As this region’s only research university, we are honored to play a leading role in shaping the success of the North Carolina Research Campus to enhance the intellectual capital — and economic development — of our region,” UNC-Charlotte Chancellor Philip Dubois said.

Other plans for the campus include a 60,000-square-foot laboratory containing a DNA sequencing facility that will be available for use by all firms on the campus. Also, The Dole Research Institute will focus on research into enhancing the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables. The group will share its work with UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State.

A hotel and conference center is also planned for the campus, as well as specialty health care provided by Northeast Medical Center in Cabarrus County.

Plans still under consideration include a training facility, led by the North Carolina Community College System, for education and training for the biotechnology jobs offered on the campus.

“Young people who are graduating from high school in North Carolina will go on to institutes of higher education in this state, and then will be able to return to Kannapolis for employment in the scientific laboratories or to create their own businesses,” said Justin Murdock, son of David Murdock and senior vice president for Dole and Castle and Cooke.

Construction on the campus will begin once architectural plans are completed.

Shannon Blosser is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.