North Carolina’s first-ever freestanding children’s hospital is coming to Apex, and with it, a multi-billion-dollar infusion of public, private, and philanthropic investment that promises to reshape Wake County and beyond. Anchored by a 500-bed facility and thousands of new jobs, this transformational project represents the best of what government, academia, and healthcare can achieve together.
🏥 Project at a Glance
- Name: NC Children’s Health Campus
- Location: Apex, NC (Wake County), at US‑1 and NC‑540
- Size: 230-acre campus within the 1,000-acre Veridea mixed-use development
- Lead Partners: UNC Health + Duke Health (nonprofit partnership)
- Hospital Beds: 500 (plus 100+ dedicated behavioral health beds)
- Estimated Investment: $2–3 billion
- State Commitment: $320 million (with additional budget proposals pending)
- Direct Jobs: 8,000
- Total Economic Impact: $27 billion
- Timeline: Groundbreaking in 2027, with completion targeted for early 2030s
This project marks a landmark collaboration between two of the nation’s top medical institutions—UNC and Duke—alongside state leaders and philanthropic contributors. It’s exactly the kind of public–private partnership that strengthens North Carolina’s future.
📍 Why Apex Was Chosen
Apex sits at the heart of a fast-growing region with strategic access to healthcare talent, major highways, and a highly educated population. The hospital site lies within the Veridea development, a master-planned, mixed-use district designed to support:
- Up to 8,000 new homes
- 3.5 million square feet of retail
- 12 million square feet of office space
- A future Wake Tech community college campus
In short, Apex offers the ideal blend of land availability, infrastructure, and momentum—while remaining close to UNC’s Chapel Hill campus and Duke’s Durham medical hub. And with Raleigh just 20 minutes away, the location is both central and scalable.
📈 Impact on the Area
The NC Children’s Health Campus will generate far more than medical outcomes—it’s poised to deliver outsized economic returns across the Triangle and into neighboring counties.
Economic Magnitude
- $2–3 billion represents a significant percentage of Apex’s entire GDP
- 8,000 direct jobs will expand the region’s healthcare labor force by 10–15%
- New roles will include physicians, nurses, technicians, researchers, and support staff
Income Growth
- Expected average salaries will significantly outpace Apex’s current median household income (approx. $116,000)
- Higher-wage employment will spur upward mobility and increased local spending
Regional Ripple Effects
Cities and counties positioned to benefit include:
- Wake County: Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Raleigh
- Chatham County: Pittsboro, Siler City
- Harnett County: Angier, Lillington
- Orange County: Chapel Hill
- Durham County: Durham
- Johnston County: Clayton, Smithfield
- Lee and Moore Counties: Sanford, Southern Pines
This is a regional play, not just a local one—and the returns will ripple for decades.
🏘️ What It Means for Housing and Retail Real Estate
Where new jobs go, new residents follow—and real estate demand grows.
Housing Impacts
- Workforce demand will stretch from Apex outward into commuter towns like Holly Springs, Pittsboro, Angier, and Clayton
- Expect increased demand for both for-sale and rental housing, especially townhomes and Class A/B multifamily
- Given long construction timelines, this creates urgency for near-term housing development
Retail & Neighborhood Shopping
- The hospital campus will attract restaurants, pharmacies, childcare, and wellness-focused retail
- New daytime population will support neighborhood shopping centers, particularly in Apex, Cary, and Holly Springs
- With more than 18,000 total new jobs (direct + indirect), expect a boost in demand for medical offices, urgent care, fitness, and quick-service food
🏛️ A Model for Smart Public–Private Partnership
This project represents the gold standard of collaboration:
- UNC and Duke bringing world-class healthcare and research
- State government providing catalytic funding and policy support
- Private donors and developers aligning capital to accelerate growth
In a time when large-scale public initiatives often stall, the NC Children’s Health Campus shows what’s possible when vision meets coordination.
NC Capital Group’s Take
At NC Capital Group, we see these mega-investments not just as news headlines—but as ground-floor opportunities for smart real estate investment. Population growth, high-paying jobs, and mixed-use development create the kind of long-term tailwinds that support our mission: delivering stable, cash-flowing real estate that revitalizes communities and builds generational wealth.
Eddie Coleman, CCIM, is the Principal Investment Officer at NC Capital Group. With over 40 years of experience in Commercial Real Estate in North Carolina and South Carolina, his experience spans multifamily, retail, office, historic adaptation, etc. In addition to advising clients and brokering transactions, he has extensive knowledge of North Carolina through experience in corporate site acquisition, development, capitalization, HUD financing, etc. He holds the prestigious Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.