(DURHAM) -- Monday officially opens the brand new Duke Cancer Institute, a facility that brings the university's research to one location.  At a dedication on Thursday, Duke President Richard Brodhead said the building, while still a hospital, is designed to feel like home to patients.

"This then becomes the place where people come to care for people and people come to be cared for and what a great resource we have for that purpose," said Brodhead.

State leaders joined Duke University officials at the dedication.  Gov. Bev Perdue was among them.

"It was all designed around patient comfort with healing in mind, providing an array of wonderful services and amenities to make patients and their families as comfortable as possible," said Perdue.

Construction on the seven-story, $235 million building begain in late 2009. Duke now joins Wake Forest University and UNC-Chapel Hill as North Carolina schools with facilities equipped for advanced cancer research and care.