An aerial view of the expanding American Tobacco Campus. Image courtesy of Hines.
American Tobacco Campus (ATC) is getting supersized as a new partnership is planning to greatly expand development around the historic district.
Capitol Broadcasting Co. (CBC), which owns the campus, WRAL-TV, and WRAL TechWire, has formed a joint venture with Hines, an international real estate firm, and USAA Real Estate to develop a 700,000-square-foot mixed-use project on 11 acres in downtown Durham as an extension to the current campus.
Previously occupied by University Ford, the property sits adjacent to the American Tobacco Historic District. The first phase of the development is set to increase the size of the district by 60 percent. The current campus, along with other offices known as the Diamond View Buildings, covers more than 1 million square feet of Class A office space.
A render of the new buildings planned for ATC. Image courtesy of Hines.
By the numbers, its the biggest single project executed at one time in downtown Durham, said Michael Goodmon, CBCs senior vice president of real estate, in an interview. It beats the first phase of American Tobacco, which at the time was huge.
Goodmon added that the partners had been working really hard for a very long time to pull this together. We kind of have the dream team, he said.
No price tag was disclosed for the development.
The expansion of the ATC is the latest in a series of developments that have helped reshape Downtown Durham. The renaissance began with the construction of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park by the City of Durham in 1995 followed shortly thereafter by the development of the office building known as Diamond View I, the CBC purchase and renovation of the ATC, the citys construction of the Durham Performing Arts Center which opened in 2008 and many other investments made in the immediate area.
This is not a suburban shopping opportunity. This is not that. What this is, is trying to do an infilled project in the midst of a downtown and maintain the character that downtown Durham is known for, Goodmon told WRAL-TV.
Rendering of American Tobacco Campus expansion. Image courtesy of Hines.
The ATC expansion project is divided into two phases. The first includes developing 313,000 square feet of leasable space in two Hines T3 creative office buildings and building 350 multifamily units into a 14-story high-rise. The Hines T3 buildings will stand 6 stories and 7 stories with the first floor of each set aside for retail, according to Mark Stanford of CBC.
RARE TIMBER CONSTRUCTION
It will also be a work of innovation.
The Hines T3 creative office buildings, which stands for Timber, Transit and Technology, utilize all-timber construction to create a vintage aesthetic and warehouse environment with the amenities of new construction.
Goodmon said it will be the first of their kind in the market and join only a handful of markets in the country using this innovation.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022.
One big thing on my list is families. Families is a group that historically downtown Durham hasnt been real sticky for, Goodmon said. But if you add the amenity base were adding here and look broader across American Tobacco, all of a sudden you have an urban environment thats really inviting to families.
The new construction will carefully fit with the historic look of the original American Tobacco campus, said Hines Senior Managing Director Kurt Hartman.
By way of comparison in scale, the nearby Durham Innovation District covers 15 acres with two major buildings providing 350,000 square feet of space.
A rendering of a new look American Tobacco Campus. Image courtesy of Hines.
Alongside a central plaza and pedestrian alleyways, theres also 90,000 square feet of retail space reserved for a possible movie theater/draft house, grocery, other amenity shops and restaurants.
A LONG-TIME VISION
CBC bought the 11 acres for the expansion in 2016. There has always been a long-term vision for the site, Goodmon said.
We signed on from day one. When we started working in downtown Durham, this was always about developing a community and the revitalization of a downtown, he said. This is taking it to another level.
Not even a pandemic was going to get in the way of plans, he added. People crave interaction; we crave being a part of a community, and you cant do that virtually. At the end of the day, the most competitive companies in the world are going to be the places that will drive the most competitive talent, and that means youve got to develop those places.
Its at the gateway to downtown Durham, noted Hines director Paul Zarian. We have the opportunity to create something special and learn from this COVID-19 experience.
PRAISE FOR PROJECT
The folks at ATC are transforming an under-used corner of Durhams urban core into a vibrant new downtown destination, said Mayor Steve Schewel.
Geoff Durham, CEO of the Durham Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the news. The timing for such an ambitious project comes at an essential time for the Durham market, he said. Without adequate space for our businesses to grow, we risk losing these innovations to other markets.
THE PARTNERS
Hines, a privately owned global real estate investment firm, has a presence in 205 cities in 24 countries with some $133.3 billion of assets under management.
USAA Real Estate acquires, develops, finances and manages real estate investments.
Hines and USAA are partners in the Fenton development in Cary.
Thanks to WRAL TechWire's Chantal Allam for this Capcom story and to Hines for these Capcom photos.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
An aerial view of the expanding American Tobacco Campus. Image courtesy of Hines.
