ABC11 has learned that Apple requested an extension on its 2021 grant, and the Economic Investment Committee, which is part of the North Carolina Department of Commerce granted the request on Tuesday.
"We have a skill set. We have people that they want to tap into. The negative is that it's going to be slower going," said UNC Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise Chief Economist Gerald Cohen.
"Rather than getting this infusion of investment, now we're gaining it over the next four years or five years."
A spokesperson says Apple is still committed to this state. In fact, the company has two big investments slated for North Carolina.
There are plans to build a data center in the Charlotte area.
And, Apple is still planning to build its East Coast hub along Little Drive in Research Triangle Park (RTP).
The RTP project stalled in June 2024, and the company confirmed it had pressed the pause button on it.
The center is expected to create at least 2,700 jobs and with extension news, it seems the project will at some point move forward.
ABC11's newsgathering partner, the News & Observer, says North Carolina's initial deal with Apple created parallel timelines for the Cupertino tech giant - one for hiring; the other for building. Under this agreement, Apple pledged to create 378 Triangle-area jobs by the end of 2024 and 990 local jobs by the end of this year. Its hiring requirement scales to at least 2,700 positions by 2031, which is also the year by which Apple must spend at least half a billion dollars on a Wake County site.
Timeline: Apple East Coast Hub at RTP
April 2021, Apple announces its plans for a $1 billion investment to build East Coast Hub at RTP in North Carolina.
December 2023, paperwork obtained by ABC11 suggested that construction would start in 2026.
May 2024, ABC11 learned that the project appeared to be in a holding pattern.
"Apple has been operating in North Carolina for over two decades, and we're deeply committed to growing our teams here," the company said in a 2024 statement to ABC11. "In the last three years, we've added more than 600 people to our team in Raleigh, and we're looking forward to developing our new campus in the coming years."
"I think the time is always good, but sooner than later, because I think the revenue you get, the jobs you create, the ripple effect in the economy is going to put the dollars in the coffers for our towns," said Morrisville Council Member Steve Rao.
After the announcement of the pause, Wake County officials and business leaders expressed confidence that the project would eventually come to fruition.
"Research Triangle Park is a great home for so many companies, and we're thrilled that Apple will be among them," RTP CEO Scott Levitan said. "Having a company of Apple's stature investing here is a great endorsement of everything RTP offers."