Epic Games announces new headquarters at Cary Towne Center site

Epic Games, the company best known for its smash hit Fortnite, announced on Sunday it plans to convert Cary Towne Center mall into its new campus.

Posted 10:40 p.m. Jan 3, 2021 — Updated 10:46 a.m. Jan 4, 2021

Aaron Thomas

, WRAL reporter

CARY, N.C. — Epic Games, the company best known for its smash hit Fortnite, announced on Sunday plans to convert Cary Towne Center mall into its new campus.

Epic plans to turn the mall into a 980,000 square foot global headquarters by 2024, canceling out plans announced last year for a mix of office, retail and residential spaces.

The announcement stirred buzz in the community, with some feeling the headquarters will be a much better use of space that’s been struggling to stay open over the years. However, some locals are disappointed about losing stores and venues for residents.

Developer plans mix of offices, stores, residences on former Cary Towne Center site

Epic Games currently operates on Crossroads Boulevard in Cary. By transitioning to the mall property, it will house office buildings and recreational spaces.

Not everyone is on board. One viewer on WRAL’s Facebook page chimed in, calling the announcement "devastating news for those who have been waiting for Cary Towne Center to be turned into something nice."

The original plan, with a groundbreaking scheduled for 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 parks and plazas.

In 2018, furniture store IKEA had plans to take over the mall but pulled out.

Construction is already underway across the street for Fenton, a 90-plus-acre development along Cary Towne Boulevard that will open later in 2021 with a mix of retail, offices and apartments.

Cary looks to grow up

Only a few stores currently remain open at Cary Towne Center, including Belk. Most of the mall is blocked off.

Suggest A Correction