GREENSBORO The nanoschool is about to get a new neighbor.

The Gateway University Research Park went public Tuesday night with plans to build a third building on its south campus on East Gate City Boulevard. The new 70,000-square-foot building will go up next door to the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.

John Merrill, executive director of the Gateway University Research Park, said hell announce the new buildings main tenant within the next couple of weeks. Construction could start as soon as August and the building could be occupied in late 2018.

Our anchor tenant needs to be in the space as soon as we can deliver it, Merrill said in a telephone interview Wednesday. Were going to do everything we can to keep this process moving forward.

Merrill declined to name the anchor tenant but described it as an injection molding company. The company will bring its headquarters and 25 jobs to the new space initially and has promised to add 25 more, Merrill said.

The $11.7 million, two-story building will have research labs and offices as well as manufacturing and distribution spaces. The anchor tenant will occupy between a third and half of the new building. The remaining spaces will be for lease.

Greensboro City Council on Tuesday agreed to spend $1.2 million on the project.

The Gateway research park, a joint venture of N.C. A&T and UNC-Greensboro, has two campuses. The North Campus covers 75 acres along U.S. 29 near Bryan Park. The South Campus, also 75 acres, sits along Gate City Boulevard near Interstate 40/85.

The other building contains high-end laboratories and offices. Tenants include the U.S. Department of Agricultures Natural Resources Conservation Service; VF Corp.s Global Innovation Center for denim research; Triad Growth Partners, a technology and business development company; and several high-tech startups.

Contact John Newsom at (336) 373-7312 and follow @JohnNewsomNR on Twitter.

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Third building planned for Gateway research park campus - Greensboro News & Record