"RTP Hurtles Toward Mixed-Use After Key Votes"

The Triangle Business Journal recently released an insightful article exploring how Research Triangle Park is moving toward a new era of mixed-use development following several key approval votes. The changes could reshape the future of RTP, creating new opportunities for live, work, and play environments across the region. Scroll down to read the full article. 

"RTP Hurtles Toward Mixed-Use After Key Votes"  
by Kayli Thompson - June 29, 2026 

The last hurdles to allowing mixed-use development within Research Triangle Park have been cleared — and applications for new development open in only a matter of weeks.
On Monday morning, Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the new RTP development code and regulations. 

That comes after the RTP Owners and Tenants Association also voted unanimously to approve the new code on June 25.
The approval from the private entities was the last step needed to allow for RTP 3.0 to move forward, which is a “50-year vision” to turn the 7,000-acre park into a “live, work, play” environment. 
It's a dramatic reshaping of the park, which took off as a hub for the region when IBM arrived in 1965. But RTP leaders have long yearned to make the park more of a mixed-use location.
The RTF board and owners and tenants association worked to draft regulations regarding development within the park. The RTF board and owners and tenants association had to create new land covenants, adopt enhanced development standards and approve the revised design guidelines. 

A rendering of an example of enhanced corporate campus in RTP.
Ayers Saint GrossCombined with the new zoning in place approved by Wake and Durham County Commissioners, there is more flexibility in how land is used and developed in the park. Two changes of note are reduced setbacks and an increase in density. 
Travis Crayton, vice president of planning and public policy for RTF, said the development application process will open on July 16. There will also be a “lunch and learn” provided in August for landowners who are interested in developing their property. 
Landowners will be allowed to choose from three development options:

• Enhanced corporate campus;
• residential neighborhood development;
• and mixed-use node. The Hub RTP is an example of a mixed-use node. 
  

“Hub (RTP) does sort of set an example of what a mixed-use development can look like in that Research Park context,” Crayton said. 
“The Foundation taking on that project and getting it moving before we undertook 3.0 really signaled to the market that there is appetite for that type of development in the park.”

However, because of that increase in density, no single-family homes will be allowed. Crayton said the lowest density housing type that can be developed is townhomes. He added that they expect to see mostly condominium and apartment developments. 
It could be a while before the park sees any more residential development though due to the large oversupply in the market. 
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“I’m not sure from a market perspective how quickly we will see developers want to jump on this, especially from an apartment perspective where we do have a lot of supply in the market right now,” Crayton said. “That will eventually get eaten up in the next couple of years and we’ll be back to where we were just a couple of years ago where there is huge demand and not enough supply.”

So far, there are only a handful of landowners who are exploring potentially developing part of their site based on these new regulations. IBM could be one of those companies as it has moved the majority of its employees out of its RTP buildings and into its leased space at the IBM 500 complex owned by developer Hines. 
IBM previously told Triangle Business Journal that it is exploring its options for its RTP campus, which spans 400 acres. 

CLICK HERE for the full story on the Triangle Business Journal website.