Newly released recordings track Apple's RTP campus calendar and what it will bring

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Documents recently released by Wake County shed more light on Apple’s future campus in Research Triangle Park, adding roadwork to ease traffic and an indication of when the company plans to begin construction.

Among the records released Monday was a Traffic Impact Analysis conducted by the Raleigh-based engineering firm Kimley-Horn, which examined existing traffic volumes around the RTP site as well as projected traffic conditions for what the firm called an anticipated “build-out” in 2026.

The analysis, presented in May, estimates that the campus could make just “5,500 new daily vehicle trips. “Kimley-Horn proposed a series of “vehicle mitigation” measures to prepare for the “Phase 1 structure” at Apple’s site, adding the structure of additional turn lanes, on-ramp lanes and exit lanes, and traffic lights.

In North Carolina, traffic impact testing is required for projects that are expected to generate more than 3,000 vehicle trips per day. Applicants hire engineering firms to conduct those studies.

In April 2021, Apple announced that it would employ more than 3,000 people at a site straddling N. C. 540 near Cary and Morrisville. Since then, the company has not made any public statements about the project.

However, documents received this week via The News

According to site plans dated Sept. 8, the complex will feature 3 main buildings, 3 accessory structures, and a parking lot. Each building measures 73 feet, or about five to six stories. In total, the plans require approximately 702,000 square feet of area and approximately 900,000 square feet of total area.

The maximum height of the construction is 120 feet, no construction proposed lately reaches this altitude.

Apple did not technically submit these site plans; the vacant land is owned by a holding company called Acute Investments. Most of the plan’s 154 pages were redacted. Wake County said this information was concealed as it contained trade secrets.

Commenting on Acute’s plans, Wake County noted a “final zoning and site improvement inspection” must still occur before it issues a building permit.

In November, a county official told The N&O that they felt Apple has been unhurried in its RTP campus efforts. “It’s really slow rolling on the applicant side,” they said. “I thought it would be much further along.”

Apple, which is known to keep its plans under wraps, responded to questions about its speed of progress in the Triangle.

In addition to a building permit, the company needs a permit from the county for its stormwater plan, designed by engineering firm Durham McAdams. In September, the design was approved by North Carolina State University’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

In September, McAdams also informed Wake County that leases “are in process” with the state Department of Transportation regarding the RTP site.

For now, Apple has invested in two smaller Triangle sites. The tech is renting a seven-story building at MetLife’s global generation campus in Cary.

And the company is recently renovating a four-story, 139,000-square-foot building in Durham, near Raleigh-Durham International Airport. In February, the City of Durham issued a “redevelopment” permit for this building on Slater Road. There are no signs of Apple’s presence, two local real estate resources close to the assignment have proven that Apple is the tenant.

To comply with the state’s economic incentive agreement, Apple will have to have added at least 126 employees in the region by the end of this year. This hiring threshold is then raised to a total of 378 jobs next year, 990 in 2025 and finally at least 2,700 new positions in total until the end of 2032.

While its hiring commitments are more immediate, Apple has a longer runway to meet its property investment goals. Under the terms of its Job Development Investment Grant, Apple must spend a minimum of around $500 million on local property by the end of 2031. The company’s current spending on the MetLife and Slater Road locations may count toward this total.

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Newly released recordings track Apple’s RTP campus calendar and what it will bring

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