RTP's Year of Growth, Innovation, and Transformation

Economy & Business 2025: Research Triangle Park 

Scott Levitan

President and CEO, Research Triangle Foundation of NC

2025 marks a year of significant growth for Research Triangle Park (RTP) and the Triangle region. The stewarding organization of RTP, Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, is proud to celebrate its 65th anniversary, honoring the Park’s legacy as a catalyst for economic development and innovation in North Carolina. Founded on the bold vision of reshaping the state’s economy, RTP continues to evolve, redefining how people live, work and connect while embracing the opportunities and challenges of a dynamic, growing region.  

Central to this growth is Hub RTP, RTP’s new vibrant downtown destination. In 2025, the highly anticipated mixed-use development, Horseshoe at Hub RTP, welcomes new and exciting dining experiences. Tenants include Cheeni, a second location of a beloved Durham restaurant led by two-time James Beard semifinalist Chef Preeti Waas that is known for its contemporary take on Indian cuisine, and Prime STQ, the latest concept from celebrated Pitmaster Christopher Prieto that offers a unique blend of his signature barbecue with a steakhouse experience. In addition, Drift Coffee & Kitchen is expanding its Triangle presence within Horseshoe, offering premium coffee and wellness-inspired menu items. To accompany these new dining destinations, visitors can expect new programming and events within Hub RTP’s community focused gathering spaces, which includes our well-known experiential restaurant and retail space, Boxyard RTP, and co-working, office and professional networking spot, Frontier RTP.  

Soon, the Hub RTP development will add additional office and lab space, a 279-key Marriott Renaissance hotel, additional residential units from MAA Nixie, restaurants and retail all designed to bring people together to work, play and stay in RTP, driving forward RTP’s broader transformation. This includes the highly-amenitized, state-of-the-art lab and office building Via Labs at Hub RTP from Longfellow Real Estate Partners.  

As the Triangle region prepares to welcome over one million new residents in the next two decades, RTP’s mission has never been more critical. Today, RTP is home to nearly 400 companies and 55,000 employees, but it faces shifting dynamics, including hybrid work, the demand for mixed-use environments and evolving research and development needs. To address these 

challenges, the Foundation continues its work on RTP 3.0, a bold 50-year vision to enhance the Park’s reputation and structure to better support research, development and collaboration among university, industry and governmental partners. The plan also optimizes the Park’s 7,000-acre footprint for sustainable and equitable growth by reimagining underutilized land into vibrant mixed-use communities and enhancing public services. In partnership with Wake and Durham counties and with continued collaboration efforts with RTP companies, the plan will guide zoning reforms, developmental standards and transit investments to strengthen RTP’s infrastructure and connectivity. 

Laying the groundwork for connectivity in RTP is the relocation of GoTriangle’s transit center. Supported by a $25 million U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant, the Triangle Mobility Hub will be a multimodal transportation center located near Hub RTP, improving access to jobs, education and services for the residents of the Triangle region and RTP’s workforce. Expected to generate $270 million in economic returns over 30 years, the Triangle Mobility Hub is RTP’s first major transit-oriented development and a critical step toward achieving RTP 3.0’s goals. GoTriangle recently issued a Request for Qualifications and will soon move into the Request for Proposals phase to identify a developer for the transit center.  

Research Triangle Park continues to be a cornerstone of economic development for North Carolina. A recent economic impact study determined that on an annual basis, RTP supports an economic value of $25.1 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 4.1% of North Carolina’s 2023 GDP. By advancing initiatives like Hub RTP and RTP 3.0, the Foundation reaffirms its commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability and community building. Together with its partners, RTP remains a global epicenter of opportunity, ensuring the Park and the Triangle region thrive for generations to come. 

“Research Triangle Park is fulfilling the promise we made to North Carolina 65 years ago: transforming our state’s economy by making significant new investments that maintain RTP as a leading innovation community for the future. Phase 1 of Hub RTP, our new downtown destination, is complete, with residents and commercial tenants now signing leases and moving in. RTP 3.0, our blueprint for the next 50 years, will enable us to continue attracting companies that seek the unique advantages of the Research Triangle Region and the state.” - Scott Levitan, Research Triangle Foundation of NC

This content first appeared in Economy & Business 2025. Click here to view the entire publication.