APG Companies was a proud sponsor for the sold-out 2023 Garner IMPACT Conference, which included updates on the town’s accelerating economic growth and a panel discussion on the rise of medical-related development, followed by a bus tour through Garner to see major projects under construction, newly completed or in the pipeline.
Matthew Coppedge, President and CEO of the Garner Chamber of Commerce, spoke on the current status of Garner and some of its new and upcoming developments, and John Hodges, Garner’s Assistant Town Manager, provided updates on Garner’s comprehensive plan.
Key takeaways:
- Garner is the Triangle’s next Boomtown.
- With 35,000 residents currently, the town anticipates 15,000 new residents in the next 3-4 years; a 42% increase.
- The I-40 expansion has significantly helped Garner, improving traffic flow and connectivity to regional cities and towns. Potential companies/employers also see Garner as better able to support their business. When completed, the White Oak Interchange will be the largest in North Carolina.
- The presence of Amazon has been positive, with the increase of jobs and revenue that were brought to the town. Its location in Garner has encouraged other companies to come to Garner as well.
- Garner has the only rail-served industrial park in the region (Greenfield North).
- The expansion of MD Logistics, a cold chain storage and medical transport company, is a big win for Garner. Garner is now home to twenty life sciences related companies.
The bus tour following the presentation covered several Garner Forward focus areas, sites where Garner sees opportunities to develop or redevelop an existing location into something new, such as commercial buildings, employment centers, small office developments and neighborhoods. These areas of discussion included Garner Station, Fifth Avenue, Northeast Gateway and Auburn Station. Four major developments were highlighted on the bus tour, with stops taken to provide further insights:
- Beacon Commerce Park is a 600,000 sq. ft. Class A distribution and manufacturing site containing three industrial buildings. Currently, Buildings 1 and 2 are complete, with Building 3 under construction.
- The NC-540 expansion is currently under construction and when completed, it will be the largest transport infrastructure in North Carolina history. Eliminating stoplights, the 540 expansion will feature extra wide shoulders and electronic tolls. Phase 1 is expected to open in Spring 2024, which will connect the NC 55 Bypass to I-40. Phase 2 will connect I-40 in Garner to I-87 in Knightdale and is expected to open in 2028.
- Jeff Castleberry, Senior Development Manager at APG Capital, discussed Swift Creek Apartments, a joint venture with KDM Development. A mixed-use lifestyle center currently under development, site work will begin in 2024. This “40 acres Class A apartment project will feature 617 apartments, 23,000 sq. ft. of retail and commercial space and a public lawn”. Adjacent to Swift Creek Apartments, APG is also planning a new 100 acres development with 600-800 residential units.
- INQ4300, a 180,0017 sq. ft. life sciences building that features lab and production space, was completed in 2022.
Thank you to the Garner Chamber of Commerce for a wonderful and insightful event!