Back in April, Apple announced a $430 billion investment over the next five years to create more than 20,000 new jobs as the company continues to expand. One significant piece of that plan is a new engineering and research center in North Carolina where Apple will be investing over $1 billion and hiring at least 3,000 employees.
Assemblage of seven properties in Research Triangle Park owned by Apple
Apple actually acquired the land for its new North Carolina campus in late 2018, purchasing about 280 acres in Research Triangle Park (RTP) near the state capital of Raleigh for around $50 million, but while Apple announced plans for a new campus in Austin, Texas, around that time, it remained silent on its RTP plans until this year.
It will take several more years for Apple’s campus in RTP to get up and running, so the company is moving forward with plans for over 200,000 square feet of temporary space in nearby Cary, MacRumors has confirmed.
Apple will be taking the most recently constructed facility in a three-building complex built over the past eight years for insurance company MetLife. With the global health crisis impacting corporate facility needs around the world, MetLife has consolidated its Cary operations into two buildings on the campus and made the entire third building available for lease.
Apple will be taking Building 3 (at left) on MetLife campus in Cary, North Carolina
Based on plans filed with the Town of Cary, Apple will be taking the entire seven-floor “MetLife III” building, which totals over 220,000 square feet. An initial phase of buildout for Apple includes the first three floors of the building, but documents from the project architect indicate that Apple has the “intent of occupying the entire building in the near future.”
Development plans for Apple’s renovation were filed with the town at the end of June and were approved on July 8 and 9, clearing the way for construction to begin. Filings indicate that initial renovations will cost nearly $5.5 million and are fairly limited in scope, with Apple largely retaining the open plan already in place and previously used by MetLife.
Second-floor layout (click for larger)
Apple will be doing select demolition of floor and wall coverings in certain areas of the first three floors and reconfiguring some spaces to customize things to its own liking, but Apple will be avoiding major changes and expenses given that its tenancy is expected to be rather short-lived.
There don’t appear to be any signs of progress on Apple’s future RTP campus yet, but that’s not terribly surprising considering the announcement was made just a few months ago and Apple is likely continuing to work with architects and others on finalizing its plans.
This article, “Apple Preparing to Occupy 200,000 Square Feet of Temporary Space Ahead of New $1 Billion North Carolina Campus” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
