GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – East Carolina University has plans to turn 19-acres in Greenville’s historic warehouse district into a new “urban hub” with homes, businesses and research spaces.

Renovations in the historic warehouse district will start with four buildings in phase one. 

The master developer, Elliot Sidewalk Communities is planning for 14-new or renovated buildings. 

The project is called Intersect East, something ECU officials have been working on for several years. 

The university and developer Elliot Sidewalk Communities plan to create what they’re calling an urban hub.

They want to make it a liveable area, mixing homes, commercial ventures and new scientific discoveries.

“It’s going to comprise of about 1.3 million square feet of space when it’s said and done and we’re going to have an office, we’re going to have some retail, we’re going to have research labs, we’re going to have some length manufacturing industry, we’re going to have residential,” says Tim Elliot, Managing Partner of Elliot Sidewalk Communities

Backers of the project will preserve pieces of Greenville’s past while fostering its future growth and contributing to the local economy.

Developers are beginning immediately with design work and cleanup of the historic buildings.

They hope to finish construction on the first phase by January of 2023.