Construction of the new Randall B. Terry Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center began with a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.

Chancellor James Oblinger, board members of the R.B. Terry Jr. Charitable Foundation and members of the center’s design team put the first shovels in the ground at the lot located on the College of Veterinary Medicine campus.

“This facility will set the standard for academic veterinary hospitals around the world,” Mike Davidson, an associate dean and director of veterinary medical services, said.

“This is a day to remember Randall Terry,” said Oscar Fletcher, former College of Veterinary Medicine dean and friend of Terry’s.

Terry, a former president of the Veterinary school, had a great respect for the human-animal bond, and his golden retrievers, which attended the ceremony, were his close companions, according to Fletcher. The CVM is one of the primary beneficiaries of the Terry Foundation.

A combination of public and private donations are funding the new $72 million building, Davidson said, and the R. B. Terry Jr. Charitable foundation is contributing $20 million.

“This is the single largest private gift the University has ever received,” Davidson said.

The center is anticipated to serve 25,000 companion animals per year, he said.

According to Davidson, facilities will include a companion animal hospital, surgery suites, conference rooms and teaching labs.

“The center will be a venue for clinical research,” he said.

Warwick Arden, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said there were two concepts behind the construction of the building: transformation and a partnership between the University, the state legislature and the community.

“Within two years, the space you see here will truly be transformed,” Arden said. “Animals and people will receive the very, very, very best care.”

Arden also said the R.B. Terry Jr. Foundation will contribute a $5 million “challenge grant” in which the foundation would match every private donation up to $5 million.

Oblinger asked the audience not to forget one other important thing: The state of North Carolina contributed $38 million in funds after a General Assembly vote to match the amount of private donations.

“This center will join our research building and further our strategy to make N.C. State a biomedical leader,” Oblinger said.

Oblinger also mentioned the role the center will play in expanding the original Centennial Campus concept in building partnerships between the University and the community.

“Exciting discoveries will come from the work done here,” Oblinger said.

Attendees said they were enthusiastic about the construction of the center.

“This is long overdue. We need it desperately, and I’m really excited” Kelly VanDerlaske, supervisor of the small animal hospital, said

Bovis Lend Lease Contractors will be handling the construction of the building. It is the same company that worked on the CVM research building.

“We are excited to be back,” said Terry Yeargan with Bovis. “It’s been a great relationship for Bovis to work with the University.”

According to Yeargan, N.C. State gets the contractors involved early in the planning process, starting with the design.

“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility; there is no doubt about that. You don’t see facilities like this built anywhere else,” Yeargan said.