Apple Secures Extension for 3,000-Job RTP Campus in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. — Apple Inc. received a four-year extension from North Carolina's Economic Investment Committee on its 2021 deal to build a 1-million-square-foot campus in Research Triangle Park, near Morrisville and Cary in Wake County. Originally announced in April 2021, the $552 million project promised 3,000 high-tech jobs in machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering and related fields, backed by up to $845 million in state incentives tied to performance targets.[3][1][5] Construction has not started, with Apple pausing plans in June 2024 to lease office space instead, including MetLife’s Global Technology Campus in Cary and a former Biogen building on Slater Road in South Durham.[3] The extension resets the clock, designating 2027 as "year one" for hiring milestones: Apple must add 126 jobs by year's end, scaling to 1,719 by the fifth year and 2,700 by the tenth.[1][3] Since 2021, the company has created about 600 positions in the Raleigh area, housing workers in temporary leased facilities while site plans for three office buildings, accessory structures and a parking garage totaling nearly 900,000 square feet await revival.[3][6] The broader $1 billion commitment includes $448 million for a data center expansion in Catawba County.[3] Local universities stand to gain as Apple joins Research Triangle Park, the hub anchored by UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University in Raleigh and Duke University in Durham — much like IBM did in 1965.[2] Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz of UNC welcomed the initial announcement, noting benefits for education and the state economy. Projections peg the fully operational campus at generating $1.5 billion in annual economic impact, spurring startups, vendors and housing demand in the Triangle.[4]