The Triangle: A Sleeping Giant
The redevelopment of Glen Lennox is one local example of a broad wave of growth and development in the Research Triangle area.
Seven of the fastest growing towns in North Carolina are in the Triangle: Apex, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville and Wendell, as shown by the latest U.S. census. Meanwhile, Garner, just south of Raleigh, was named the site of a new Amazon distribution center after a seven-year search by the Seattle-based internet retailer. The facility is predicted to create more than 1,000 jobs and draw hundreds of millions in investment dollars to the area.
Forbes magazine recently released an analysis of the best places to be a renter in the U.S., and the Triangle earned the top spot based on significant numbers of reasonably priced new apartments, strong population growth and plenty of job opportunities. Growth has been accelerating for years, and developers have jumped at the chance to provide housing for the employees of the many companies moving here and the existing firms growing in place.
In May, USA Today placed Raleigh 25th on a list of the country’s wealthiest cities. Most of the top 25 cities have common characteristics: a large college-educated population, a healthy job market and industries which tend to pay higher wages.
Contemporary lifestyle media also has the Triangle in its sights. Raleigh was named one of “Five Surprising Southern Food Towns” by Garden & Gun, and one of the “Best Southern Cities to Live In” by crowdsourced website Ranker, proving that cultural richness can go hand-in-hand with industrial development.
Having several major universities within the Triangle is itself a significant growth driver. UNC, Duke, NC State and many smaller schools all have robust research and development operations, as well as programs that give rise to startup companies and encourage and nurture entrepreneurial initiative.
The Triangle is unmistakably evolving into a hotbed of technology, education, medicine and culture. All that and an exceptional quality of life is why we’re proud to call it home.