The tech and media giant Apple is pausing its development on a $522 million corporate campus in Research Triangle Park, according to multiple reports Monday evening.
Back in 2021, Apple said it was planning to invest more than $1 billion in North Carolina and create 3,000 new jobs in the Tar Heel State over the next 10 years. Its campus on the Wake County side of RTP is supposed to span about 1 million square feet and was originally scheduled to be completed by 2031.
But the Triangle Business Journal reported that Apple confirmed the project was on pause and aimed to extend its timeline for completion of the campus by four years. The Raleigh News & Observer reported the same and obtained a statement from Apple saying that the company is still “looking forward to developing our new campus in the coming years.” According to WRAL, Apple executives briefed North Carolina state officials last week after a review of its real estate.
In a statement provided to WUNC, Gov. Roy Cooper said Apple is still committed to investing in North Carolina.
“I have spoken with officials at Apple and they emphasized their commitment to build this transformative campus here in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “Apple has already hired more than 600 people in the Triangle for this project and continues hiring for what will ultimately be among the company’s most significant campuses.”
In 2021, North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee approved an incentive package worth $846 billion in tax incentives under the Jobs Development Investment Grant program, should Apple meet its hiring and investment benchmarks. It’s unclear if this reported delay will impact those incentives.
Apple’s chief operating officer is Jeff Williams, who grew up in Raleigh and earned degrees from N.C. State and Duke universities. Three years ago, he said he was “thrilled” that Apple was “creating new long-term job opportunities in the community I grew up in.”
