Apple plans $19.3M renovation of temporary offices in North Carolina

Apple is in the process of building out a new campus in North Carolina as part of a $1 billion construction project in Raleigh. To kickstart its operations, Apple is occupying office space in Cary while the campus is being constructed, an effort that itself is an expensive undertaking.

Plans were laid out in 2021 for Apple to occupy a seven-story "MetLife III" building in Cary, with the iPhone maker occupying the entire building. One year later, some of the costs of the renovation project have surfaced.

Interior renovation permits submitted to the local government for the building indicate Apple expects to spend around $19.3 million on upgrading the building, reports WRAL TechWire. While initial expectations were for Apple to renovate three floors but eventually occupy all seven, the permits cover all of the building's floors.

Permits have been granted for floors 2 through 6, with a total renovation cost estimated at $6,826,000 for the group. Construction costs for the first and seventh floor are listed as $12.48 million, however permits for the floors are still under review.

While a timeline for completion of the renovations hasn't been released, Apple expects to start hiring employees in the area in 2023.

"They're in the process of recruiting all types of technical staff and engineers, software, really all positions they're hiring for," said Mark Lawson, President of the Cary Chamber of Commerce. "It was exciting to have [Apple] look at [MetLife III] as the launching point for [its] campus," he continued.

Apple purchased space in the Raleigh Research Triangle in 2018, with plans to build a massive engineering hub for supporting high-tech development and other corporate operations. The Cary construction project is a temporary measure while that campus is constructed.