Apple Preparing to Occupy 200,000 Square Feet of Temporary Space Ahead of New $1 Billion North Carolina Campus

[MacRumors]

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.

Article Link: Apple Preparing to Occupy 200,000 Square Feet of Temporary Space Ahead of New $1 Billion North Carolina Campus

 

[DanTSX]

Interesting move in a work-from-home world. I hope apple doesn’t have their heads in the sand regarding office space.

 

[absak]

nice, new things

 

[Pezimak]

In the new normal we now live in, I have to say it seems a bit silly to build a 1 billion dollar complex? They may find engineers don't want to work for them if they don't offer hybrid home working. If other tech companies are now offering it along with the same packages. Lots of people want to spend more time with their families now.
I wonder if they offered hybrid home working if they couldn't reduce the size of the building required, thus reducing its environmental impact, something Apple is always cheering about. And save on costs too.
Although they may have signed contracts and agreements at this point.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Wow! This is massive. It's great to see the expansion in the U.S. states.

 

[Totorotarrot]

When I worked there (IL1-2) everyone had a shared office now this new layout seems even more google than HQ2. Sad.

 

[nicho]

Interesting move in a work-from-home world. I hope apple doesn’t have their heads in the sand regarding office space.

$1 billion to make space for 3,000 employees to work together.

They should build an Apple Town instead. $300,000 per employee is an extremely generous budget for building houses…

 

[Shirasaki]

Meanwhile there are 6000 of some making noises about working from home. Is apple going to be the only company in the world that still believe human is the way forward? It seems that they “value human interaction” a lot, compared to amazon’s all robot full automation approach.

 

[ChaosBlaze]

I can see my house on the bottom of that map. I can’t wait for my house value to go up to astronomical levels.

 

[ddtmm]

In the new normal we now live in, I have to say it seems a bit silly to build a 1 billion dollar complex? They may find engineers don't want to work for them if they don't offer hybrid home working.

What makes you think the entire workforce is expected to go to the office. Apple is pretty capable of factoring in that consideration when planning office space requirements.

 

[MrDerby01]

No matter how much apple shows off their new investments.. They are still very small against Huawei and Samsung Campuses. ?

 

[w5jck]

Unless a company is building a laboratory, manufacturing plant, or something similar, I have to question why they would spend money for a campus. Working from home should become the norm instead of campuses filled with building and offices burning electricity, cars polluting the environment while transporting employees too and from work. What a wast of time, money, and more importantly, the environment. They should build small campuses for team meetings when necessary, but not to house an entire workforce.

I know some companies are worried about productivity from home workers, but they don't need to be. Pay the employees by the amount of work and quality of work they produce. Before I retired, I had people in my departments who could turn out more work, and of better quality, in 10 hours time than others did in 40 hours. I had no say over who got paid what, but if I had I would have paid the 10 hour super producers of work more than the 40 hour dead weights.

 

[ghanwani]

RTP is awesome!

Many companies are going full hybrid though, so not as much need for office space.

 

[Villarrealadrian]

But, but, but what about home office!

 

[trevorep]

Holy cubical hell. People in these spaces would be better off if Apple let them work at home.

 

[bremersm]

$1 billion to make space for 3,000 employees to work together.

They should build an Apple Town instead. $300,000 per employee is an extremely generous budget for building houses…

Have you seen the housing market in RTP? $300k doesn't get you much.

 

[aesc80]

Makes you wonder if Apple intends to reduce their California presence and start expanding elsewhere. Instead of "WFH" in a California environment, why not encourage "cheaper real estate" and move to somewhere more tax friendly? Man, other states are going to hate Californians moving in.

I can see my house on the bottom of that map. I can’t wait for my house value to go up to astronomical levels.

When I was living in the Bay Area, I was renting a place (900 sq. ft) at $2200 a month. When the "Spaceship" was completed and Apple was combining everyone, my rent had increased to $3500 a month. Pretty sure the complex was gouging at that point. Thankfully I left before I paid any of those prices.

 

[Pezimak]

What makes you think the entire workforce is expected to go to the office. Apple is pretty capable of factoring in that consideration when planning office space requirements.

Because these plans for their new building will have been drawn up probably 2 or more years ago, pre-pandemic. And Apple seems to have a culture of wanting its staff in its offices. Not at home.
That's a very large area they are building for only say 1500 people a day to be present, that's half its estimated capacity in this report.
Needless of they keep the building that was planned at the same size it's environmental impact will be bigger then if they reduced it.

 

[ghanwani]

Makes you wonder if Apple intends to reduce their California presence and start expanding elsewhere. Instead of "WFH" in a California environment, why not encourage "cheaper real estate" and move to somewhere more tax friendly? Man, other states are going to hate Californians moving in.

I don't think that they're reducing presence. Many big tech companies appear to be setting up shop in RTP for expansion.

Corporations can't move away from the Bay Area because that where all the talent is concentrated. Talent wants to stay in the Bay Area because that's where all the cool opportunities are. Employees that prefer other locations tend to be Type B.

 

[aesc80]

I don't think that they're reducing presence. Many big tech companies appear to be setting up shop in RTP for expansion.

Corporations can't move away from the Bay Area because that where all the talent is concentrated. Talent wants to stay in the Bay Area because that's where all the cool opportunities are. Employees that prefer other locations tend to be Type B.

While this was definitely true pre-pandemic, I'm honestly starting to wonder if it holds true post-pandemic. We all know Austin is a huge hub for talent and seems to be on its way of equally the opportunities of the Bay Area. But I'm starting to wonder if we begin to see a trend of companies who will counter the entire WFH movement with going forward with moves to area that is much more affordable to the company and its employees.

I've had a number of friends already moving out of California simply because they couldn't afford living here, especially since they were on WFH until further notice - simply gambling that they'll be accepted to full WFH status or just find another local tech job if they get let go. Companies can simply beat them to the punch and offer cheaper living and moving forward with expansion plans in lower cost of living states, and perhaps close the doors behind them.

I'm not saying that Silicon Valley will simply cease, but for the competition, pricing, and everything else that comes with the Bay Area, its just smarter to live elsewhere. This just might be an intersection of employee desire to live affordably and corporate regathering of people into their offices (especially Apple, where they need people working behind no-window / full reflective walls)

 

[Rocko99991]

Might want to fix the whining employees that won't come to work before you building anything.

 

[scaramoosh]

I hope that's not trees Apple will be cutting down for the environment loving company....

 

[Sykora171]

I can see my house on the bottom of that map. I can’t wait for my house value to go up to astronomical levels.

I live very close by as well, same!

 

[MikeSmoke]

There is a lot of talent on the East coast. Here in Maryland we have Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, both highly acclaimed for quality hi-tech education, among many others.

 

[hatchettjack]

I guarantee us in North Carolina will have no problem showing up to work 7 days a week! thank you apple! they might just be able to sell the spaceship and ditch california altogether???