It rained this morning, so N.C. Central University officials moved a ceremonial groundbreaking into the old Holy Cross Church on Alston Avenue.

It was likely one of the last gatherings for that church on that patch of earth. The aged stone church, the longtime home to one of North Carolina's oldest African-American catholic congregations, is being supplanted to make room for a new nursing building - one part of the three-project, $70 million construction boom being celebrated today.

But rather than just bulldozing the place, NCCU officials are spending $2 million to move it across campus to a new spot next to the Shepard House along Fayetteville Street.

"This could have gone up in dust," NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms said this morning. "But imagine a wrecking ball hitting something this historic. That would not have been fair."

For more on the ceremony and the three new construction projects on the NCCU campus, read Saturday's Durham News.

Today's a big shovel-and-hard-hat day over at N.C. Central University.

NCCU today ceremonially breaks ground on three big projects that begin an overhaul of that campus and start instituting elements of a recently-approved master plan.

The three projects, a nursing building, a parking deck and a dormitory, total about $70 million.

The nursing building will be along Alston Avenue on the current site of the old Holy Cross Church, which will be moved across campus to a new spot along Fayetteville Street.

The new Chidley North Residence Hall, a 125,000-square-foot, four-story dorm, will be built at the corner of Alston Avenue and Lawson Street, a $30 million biulding that will house 520 students.

And the Latham Parking Deck, a $15 million project, will provide parking, office, housing and retail space on the corner of Lawson and Lincoln streets. It will provide 750 parking spaces.