North Carolina Construction News staff writer
North Carolina Children’s Health has selected a site in Apex for a new health campus that will include the Carolinas’ first freestanding, independent children’s hospital.
Also, a request for qualifications from design and construction firms has been issued, initiating the next phase of the project.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with completion anticipated within six years.
The planned facility, a partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health, will be built on about 230 acres near the intersection of U.S. Highway 1 and N.C. Highway 540. The site will anchor a large-scale development expected to transform pediatric care in the region.
When completed, the NC Children’s campus will feature a 500-bed hospital, outpatient care center, 103 behavioral health beds for children and adolescents, and a research and education hub backed by the UNC and Duke schools of medicine. Officials say the project will create roughly 8,000 jobs in Apex and Wake County.
“We are incredibly excited to confirm Apex and Wake County as the home for NC Children’s,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health and dean of the UNC School of Medicine. “This campus will create a brighter, healthier future for generations of children and adolescents across North Carolina and the Southeast.”
The campus will be integrated into Veridea, a 1,000-acre mixed-use community developed by RXR that includes plans for 8,000 homes, millions of square feet of retail, office and research space, and a new Wake Tech Community College campus.
“From the moment children and families enter the campus, they will know they are in a place built just for them,” said Dr. Craig Albanese, CEO of Duke Health. “Children with the most complex health issues will have access to the most highly specialized pediatric services – right here in the heart of North Carolina.”
The land for the hospital site was sold by North Carolina’s pension fund. State Treasurer Brad Briner said the sale represents a triple benefit: a return on investment for pensioners, a major healthcare asset for the public, and economic growth for the region.
“With Apex as our home, NC Children’s will ensure that the Triangle remains a hub and a destination for the best pediatric scientists, teachers and clinicians,” said Dr. Mary Klotman, executive vice president of health affairs for Duke University and dean of its school of medicine.