Cary, North Carolina Epic Games, the company best known for its Fortnite game, announced plans Sunday to convert the Cary Towne Center into its new campus.
Epic plans to convert the mall into a 980,000-square-foot global headquarters by 2024, scrapping plans announced last year for a mix of office, retail and residential space.
The announcement sparked a sensation in the community, with some feeling that the headquarters would be a better use of the space that has been struggling to stay open over the years. However, some locals are disappointed with the loss of shops and places for residents.
Epic Games currently operates on Crossroads Boulevard in Cary. By moving into the mall property, it will house office buildings and leisure spaces.
Not everyone is on board. A viewer entered WRAL’s Facebook page, describing the announcement as “devastating news for those who have been waiting for the Cary Town Center to turn into something nice.”
The original plan, with groundbreaking in February, included up to 1.2 million square feet of office space in seven buildings, 360,000 square feet of retail space, 1,800 residential units of varying sizes, a 450-room hotel and 10 acres of parkland. And squares.
In 2018, IKEA furniture store planned to take over the mall but withdrew.
Construction is already underway across the street for Fenton, a 90-acre development along Cary Towne Boulevard that will open later in 2021 with a mix of retail, offices, and apartments.
A few stores are still open currently in Cary Towne Center, including Belk. Most of the mall is closed.
