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KANNAPOLIS – New ground is breaking at the North Carolina Research Campus, something unseen here for years.

With 3 million square feet still open for development, construction is starting on the campus' medical office building with Carolinas HealthCare System already set to occupy two-thirds of the space.

"Due to the economy there hasn't been any new construction in a couple of years," said Lynne Scott Safrit, president of the research campus. "It's very important for us to have a clinical partner here on campus so we can take a lot of the research that occurs on the campus and actually translate that in a way that will help the community."

The 40,000 square-foot office will be a primary care outpatient facility. Doctors and nurses here will take research one step further, like the Cabarrus Health Alliance across the street.

That facility opened in April and is already helping the campus' new strategy.

"We're starting to push towards this clinical strategy, this clinical capability where these physicians, these clinicians will be able to enroll patients in clinical trials that are taking place at the North Carolina Research Campus," said Clyde Higgs, research campus vice-president of business development

Higgs said with space still left, to lease the new building isn't just furthering research, but it is economic development in Kannapolis.

"We're trying to recruit additional tenants, partners to the campus that will ultimately create jobs and so forth here in this area," said Higgs.

He said it's a positive sign for the city's revival and will strengthen the campus' mission.

"We want people to live longer and live healthier because of some of the things we learn here on campus," Safrit said.