Union Square Campus today announced that it will receive a $4 Million gift from The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and a $1.5 Million gift from The Cemala Foundation. The multi-year commitments will be used for design and construction of the first campus building, an approximately 103,000 square foot facility focused on training and education for healthcare professions. The building will be located at the intersection of South Elm and East Lee streets as part of the first phase of the campus which is estimated to cost between $37-40 million including land, infrastructure and equipment. The building will be a cornerstone of the broader Union Square at South Elm project and serve as a stimulus for surrounding mixed use private development.
Union Square Campus is a key initiative of Opportunity Greensboro, a working group of leaders from Greensboro businesses, foundations and higher education institutions, created by Action Greensboro.
Ed Kitchen, co-chair of Opportunity Greensboro and COO of The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation said, “These two foundation commitments demonstrate strong local support for the Union Square Campus project. We envisioned the public-private projects of Opportunity Greensboro as ones which could build on the strengths of our seven higher education institutions and ‘move the needle’ for economic development. This project certainly does that. It will be transformational for Greensboro.”
Susan Schwartz, Executive Director of the Cemala Foundation said, “The Cemala Foundation is grateful for the initiative and perseverance of so many to dream of and establish Union Square. Cemala is making this investment because Union Square will be a game changer for Greensboro and downtown. An extra benefit is Union Square’s location along the Downtown Greenway. More and more people will be able to live, work, and play in our center city.”
Healthcare Professions – initially, nursing — will comprise the first phase of the project, with the initial key stakeholder/tenants being UNCG, NCA&T, GTCC, and Cone Health. By housing programs together, they can share lab space and equipment, at significant cost savings.
Nursing education at Union Square Campus will engage students at every level: 2-year Associates Degree, RN to BSN and accelerated BSN programs, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and continuing education certificate programs. In addition, GTCC’s Radiography program will be housed at the site, adding more synergies to the shared facilities.
A state-of-the-art healthcare simulation center will be a key component of the project.