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CARY – Epic Games’ acquisition of Cary Towne Center is significant – literally and figuratively – to the video game and tech development company. So big, in fact, it’s already impacting the private company’s immediate operations, as the publisher of the globally popular game Fortnite plans to build a “custom campus from scratch.”
“We will not be doing any additional construction at our current headquarters,” Elka Looks, director of corporate communications at Epic Games, told WRAL TechWire.
However, a new campus does not mean any change in Epic’s tech game plan.
“We don’t anticipate any changes in our product, game or technology roadmap,” Looks says.
Epic added to its operations on Crossroads Boulevard as part of an expansion announced in October 2019. But the announced deal to buy the nearly one million square foot mall and surrounding property that was disclosed on Sunday means a much larger physical footprint with plenty of space. grow.
The company already has more than 2,200 employees in 35 offices around the world.
As Epic looks to build a new complex, it already has certain priorities and designs in mind as the original expansion plans included the addition of a 450,000 to 500,000 square foot facility on its campus. at the corner of Crossroads Boulevard and Jones Franklin Road.
Towne Center’s 87-acre property is more than three times the size of Epic’s current headquarters and costs Epic $ 95 million, the company said in confirmation of media reports of the sale value.
While saying the project is “still quite early in development and has no plans to share yet,” Looks provided some insight into what the company co-founded and majority-owned by billionaire CEO Tim Sweeney has to mind for property.
“This new 87-acre site is a better fit for our team in terms of location and potential for expansion compared to the existing 8-acre expansion site on our current 27-acre property,” she said when asked. asked about Epic’s reasoning for buying the struggling mall.
“This new space will also give us the flexibility to create a personalized campus from scratch for Epic that can also accommodate our long-term growth.
As for what Sweeney and his team have in mind, stay tuned.
“It’s still too early to say exactly how we’ll use the property,” Looks notes.
“The facilities will include both office buildings and recreational spaces; it is still early days, but we are committed to working with the Town of Cary to explore ways in which part of this property could be used by the community.
Cary Towne Center sold to Epic Games, site to become company’s new headquarters
The mall’s former owners, Turnbridge and Denali, had previously made zoning and planning changes for the site, and Looks says Epic is “grateful to Turnbridge and Denali for all of the investments they made in the property. through zoning and development since they bought it. in 2019. “
As for Epic’s zoning plans and vision, she again underlined “early”.
“It is still too early to say what type of rezoning we could pursue; all this would be done in close collaboration with the City and we are committed to being respectful neighbors during the construction of the property, ”she notes.
There is no timeline yet for “when the plans are available,” but Epic said in the deal announcement that work would begin this year with the goal of completing the siege by 2024.
For now, “we will continue to be based at our current location at Crossroads Boulevard,” Looks points out.
So what will happen to Epic’s current ownership?
“It is still too early to share plans for what will happen to our current property once the new campus is built,” she said.
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