After over 40 years of service, Cary Towne Center officially closed its doors on January 31st. The once busy store-fronts are now being replaced with the global headquarters of major gaming company; Epic Games. Home to the viral game Fortnite, this mainstream interactive entertainment company has grossed over 350 million users, 2.5 billion friend connections, and an overall 17.3 billion dollar value. 

   As the company continues to expand, CEO Tim Sweeny has seemingly outgrown his current Cary headquarters. As a solution to this problem, Epic Games purchased the 87- acre mall; providing them all the creative freedom to expand their workspace.

   According to Polygon.com, Epic Games can move onto the campus immediately. After purchasing the mall for 95 million dollars, the company was pleased to announce ownership over the mall. A spokesperson for Epic Games announced plans to work with the town of Cary to uphold the 193 million dollar sports and recreational center planned by the original owner a few years prior. Epic Games also announced plans to fill the old mall with new offices, providing space for many more employees. Plans for the renovation are reported to conclude around 2024.

   Cary Towne Center had been on the downfall for many years. Many key tenants have been slowly moving out or closing due to current online shopping trends, creating less traffic drawn to the mall. 

   There have been a few renovations and face-lift projects, but many have unfortunately fallen through.  For example, in February 2020, plans for a new multi-million dollar indoor sports complex were announced. Since then, not many updates have been given and it is unclear how that renovation will be affected when Epic Games moves in. In 2019, the current owners of the mall worked with the town of Cary to approve the rezoning. The rezoning negotiation allowed the space to be transformed into offices, commercial space, and even multi-family housing or hotel rooms. Again, this plan is unclear on how it will progress with the new purchase. But perhaps the most well-known plan was when the Cary Town Council voted unanimously to allow major furniture company, Ikea, to break ground for their newest store in late 2019. Ikea later dropped the deal and many were left disappointed and concerned for the mall’s future.

   Currently, the Epic Games global headquarters is located a mere two miles down the road from Cary Towne Center. The current headquarters, which has been owned since 2015, was preparing for a 500,000 square foot expansion which would reportedly provide enough space for over 2,000 new employees. According to WRAL, these plans are canceled. Aside from Cary, Epic has over 40 offices located worldwide.

   When committing about Epic Games moving into Cary Town Center, NC Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said “We’re extremely proud that Epic has chosen to call Cary home for their new global headquarters, and we greatly appreciate the company’s recognition of Cary’s existing assets as well as the unlimited potential of the area for their growing business.” 

   He continued, saying, “We look forward to continuing to work closely and collaboratively with the Epic team as they conceptualize their new campus, and we’re honored to partner with them on this exciting new development.”

   Previous mall owner and Managing Director at Turnbridge Equities, Jason Davis, said “Epic shares our vision for transforming Cary Towne Center into a vibrant community space. This sale is further validation of our value-driven investment strategy, and the property could not be placed in better hands.”