A mission of bringing together innovation and open space to the district

For more than 15 years, North Hills—known regionally as Raleigh’s Midtown—has been at the forefront of every development type, winning awards for its retail, residential, office, hotels and open spaces. Today, Kane Realty Corporation announced the latest plans for North Hills: the addition of the $1 billion, 33-acre North Hills Innovation District (NHID).

Capitalizing on the popularity of North Hills’ existing parks and outdoor spaces, and in response to recent national public health events, NHID will feature an unprecedented amount of open natural area space, with walkable trails that connect to the Capital Area Greenway system, creek beds and wetlands, as well as a series of pedestrian bridges and landings to connect tenants and visitors to retail and maker’s spaces and expansive outdoor working and dining spaces.

Notably, NHID will also include a number of innovative projects, including the 18-story Class A office building North Hills Tower 5; the 200-unit Class A Channel House Apartments; and the two-story, 20,000-square-foot Big Branch Food Hall. Through its thoughtful design, NHID will become a connection point for thought leaders in innovative fields including technology and the life sciences within an urban environment, to thoughtfully and responsibly engage the natural resources of Big Branch Creek as it bisects the district and to promote local and diverse artisans and makers.

“We hope that Tower 5 and all of NHID will become home to innovative, forward-thinking companies that value employee satisfaction, originality and a culturally enriched urban area,” said John Kane, CEO of Kane Realty. “All of North Hills—and especially this new district—is ideally located, immediately accessible from I-440 and minutes from downtown Raleigh, RDU Airport and Research Triangle Park.”

As Kane Realty seeks tenants for NHID, it also plans to focus on local businesses led by entrepreneurs who have a passion for growing their ventures in the Raleigh community. “Local businesses are the lifeblood of all successful communities, but especially here in Raleigh,” said Kane. “As NHID comes to life, we want to harness the entrepreneurial spirit of local business owners and offer them a space in North Hills to make their dreams a reality.”

Construction has already begun on NHID, with the Phase I—the Vine Apartments—completed in late 2020. Phase II of construction will begin on NHID in summer 2021, which will begin with Channel House and continue in late fall 2021 with North Hills Tower 5. Phase III will break ground in 2022.