Apple is coming to the Triangle sooner, investing millions in a temporary Cary office

Apple has ambitious plans for a brand new campus in Research Triangle Park in 2023, but the company wants to set up shop in the Triangle sooner in an interim office in Cary, according to plans filed with the Town of Cary.

The Silicon Valley tech company applied for building permits to renovate 200,000 square feet of space within three floors of a MetLife office tower at 301 Metlife Way.

Apple announced in April that it would invest more than $1 billion in a new campus in Research Triangle Park that would employ at least 3,000 employees over the next 10 years. The massive campus is planned for the Wake County side of RTP, straddling N.C. 540 near Cary and Morrisville.

But until that 1-million-square-foot campus is built, Apple will settle in Cary for now. The permit documents, which are hundreds of pages, describe the project as “renovation of first three floors of existing building for new tenant.”

The plans were first reported by MacRumors, a website dedicated to news about Apple. The town approved them in July.

The building alterations will cost Apple at least $5.4 million, according to separate project plans for the three office floors.

Among details of project costs, architectural plans and regulatory paperwork, the documents include information with specific renovation details for builders and general contractors.

Apple has not yet provided a comment to The News & Observer on the plans. MetLife has not responded to an email from The N&O requesting more information on Monday afternoon.

Durham-based firm O’Brian Atkins Associates is listed as the architect of the renovation project who filed the application on behalf of Apple Inc.

The future Apple offices would be located within one of three buildings at the MetLife Global Technology office complex, which employs over 2,400 people, according to the company.

Apple has plans to add jobs in North Carolina in machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering and other related fields, according to an April news release. The jobs would pay an average of $187,000 a year, according to the commerce department, The News & Observer reported.

Apple is set to receive job development grants from North Carolina — a jobs grant of $845.8 million over 39 years — as well as incentives from Wake County. The county has offered Apple a business development grant that will pay 50% of new property tax growth back to the company after it has met minimum investment requirements, The N&O reported.

North Carolina had been trying to lure Apple to expand in the state since at least early 2018, The News & Observer previously reported.

This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.