I have watched WRAL-techwire about Apple coming to RTP , they were suppose to make an announcement this Month…SSOOO…??? I hate the Silent treatment. 
Same for Amazon. 
Apple is waiting for the Legislature to clear out of Raleigh, maybe another week. This was reported last week. “They don’t want any surprises”. Put nothing past this crowd.
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New article in bizjournals, behind a paywall…
Cupertino, California-based Apple is in the final stages of fine-tuning its expansion plan in Research Triangle Park. Multiple sources close to discussions say the technology giant is working on filling out North Carolina’s Jobs Development Investment Grant (JDIG) application form, a requirement for the Tar Heel State before it finalizes its incentives package. As hinted by North Carolina lawmakers in making the changes to the state’s incentive policy just a few weeks ago, Apple may be considering pledging 3,000 new jobs initially with campus expansion possibilities in the future.
Sources add that an announcement is not likely in the coming days. “I think they want to wait until the North Carolina legislature adjourns the current session,” one government source said, adding Apple or N.C. economic developers do not want any surprises coming out of Jones Street. Completion of the JDIG process is expected to take a few days as well. “We will have a better idea on the time frame after next week following adjournment,” the source added.
Apple has considered more than one site within RTP to develop a new campus, sources say, but has now narrowed in on land owned by the Research Triangle Foundation surrounding the intersection of Interstate 540 and Davis Drive. Property owned by the organization is supposed to be used by the foundation to draw companies to the park.
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When is the general assembly adjourning the current session?
The last scheduled session seems to be tomorrow, and a press conference is scheduled for the 26th (Tue).
(Source: it’s on their website)
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Anybody has an idea on the timeline?
Tim Cook does. So far just waiting on an announcement…
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Most news outlets were reporting the deal was ‘pending’ a month ago. WRAL interviewed an RTP guy who was stating the first week of June that an announcement was ‘next week’ (meaning the 2nd week of June). I really have concerns that the NC Legislature could F*** this deal completely up, especially with their recent announcement to reconvene tomorrow just so they can write the language in their ‘constitutional amendments’ (even though constitutionally there is a 3 person panel (2 Dems, 1 Rep) who are supposed to write it. Their constitutional ‘amendments’ are fiscally irresponsible at BEST, discriminatory at worst. I hope Tim Cook’s thinking is that by coming to NC they can effect positive change in North Carolina rather than walking away because our legislature wants it to be 1861!!!
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I was wondering the same. Seems this legislature is dead set on running N.C. into the ground with discrimination, irresponsible legislation, and bully tactics. Hopefully Cooke is thinking just that and if Apple does land here it will spearhead progressive, smart change.
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If I were “them” would I really want engineers and other educated people flocking to my state and potentially change the balance of power to “the people”?
I think not…imho 
Same with Amazon…
Haha @RobertSanderlin true. 
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Call me stupidly optimistic but irrespective of the Apple decision the local tech scene is going to keep crushing it. Other cities like Charlotte and Winston-Salem are also seeing great growth in tech (Fintech and Biotech, respectively) which is good for the state and will help alleviate all these legislative issues we’re tiptoeing around.
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neither of those towns are experiencing anywhere near the tech growth we are. Only Winston has a ‘real research university’ to help drive this. Apple on the other hand, we accelerate this “cruising’ to a transformational level, unlike anything we’ve seen in the last 3+ decades. To have a 'brand” of one of the FANG stocks put up a large shop in your city ‘legitimizes’ you unlike one of the 'dinosaurs" (IBM, Cisco, SAS…) Raleigh has always been one of the 6 or so ‘legit’ tech hubs in America BUT we’ve always been ‘behind’ the others like Boston, DC, Austin, Denver, and obviously Silicon Valley. Apple and/or Amazon opening up shop changes that dynamic in a way not even comparable to the ‘steady pace’ we see today.
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It’s funny how Cisco is called a dinosaur; it’s not even 35 years old.
I won’t dispute most of what you said because you’re definitely right. Though, you might be surprised that Wake and UNCC are both Research II (the second highest rank, only UNC, Duke and State are Research I in NC). I didn’t mean to make it a comparison, just to point out that NC is changing and there’s reason to be optimistic that tech growth in places like CLT and W-S will make the state a better place.
Don’t get me wrong, I definitely hope Apple chooses the Triangle (and kind of think it would preclude Amazon if it did) but this isn’t some kind of make-or-break thing for us. Like I said, I’m very optimistic about NC and the Triangle’s future (I’m also still in my 20s so maybe it’s naivete) .
We must change out the GOP Legislature before the census is complete in 2020-21 or they will gerrymand for another TEN years. We must return NC back to its reality, not a laboratory for extremist right wing governance. We are not this. Help us Apple.
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14 posts were split to a new topic: Politics Topics on this Forum?
Further points that could have been delaying the announcement: Bigger issues looming with trade war concerns with China or waiting on the ballot turnout in November (on voter ID)
“When the wind of change blows, some people build walls, others build windmills.”
Hard to believe how the republican legislation is risking our chances in arguably the most important year for site selections for NC and RDU in return for shortsighted political gains.
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It can be argued that Trump’s tax changes have caused companies, particularly Apple, to bring back off shore billions back to the USA. And that re-investment is part of why this new Apple campus may come to a place like NC.
Also repubs vs dems… it’s a complex issue where the ‘bathroom law’ can upset progressive sensibilities, but overall the republican-run states often have better business climates. Like NC. Look at the powerful liberal states - CA, NY, NJ. All are losing population and business… to republican states like TX, GA, and NC. You’ve got a number of issues at play like social progressiveness vs how taxes and regulation are handled and businesses are treated.
And it seems that just being GOP is not a negative when you look at all the places businesses are fleeing (Amazon running from Seattle, Silicon Valley biz moving to TX, and NY operations moving to southeast states). Recently AllianceBernstein from NYC announced moving 1000 people to a new tower in Nashville, a heavy Red state. It’s a growing trend. So yes, there can be blow back from some of these ‘bathroom laws’ but more likely the better business environment in GOP run states like NC, SC, GA, FL, TX, etc are why they are seeing some of the highest growth in the country.
I’ve got my fingers crossed for the Apple campus as I’m right off 540 and I think all housing is kicking up a good 5 to 10% from a mega project like this showing up (as it starts hitting the 5000 employee mark possibly in 5 years).
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