The University of Massachusetts-Lowell has announced plans to buy the former St. Joseph’s Hospital complex in a $6.3 million deal.

The purchase will link the university’s North, South and East campuses and help revitalize the Acre section of the city. The property consists of six buildings totaling nearly 300,000 square feet that can be occupied, as well as 300 parking spaces in two lots that the university has been leasing, according to a statement.

The hospital complex has been largely empty since 1992 when St. Joseph’s merged with St. John’s to form Saints Medical Center.

The deal will be paid for by the UMass Building Authority. UMass Lowell is authorized to borrow up to $50 million through the building authority for renovations to the site. The complex, to be known as University Crossing, will be home to the campus police department, a consolidated school bookstore and a food court. (AP)