Apex Lands Duke/UNC Children's Hospital Site

North Carolina Children’s Health – a partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health – has picked 230 acres near U.S. 1 and NC 540 in Apex as the site of the campus for the only free-standing independent children’s hospital in the Carolinas.

In an announcement Thursday, NC Children’s estimated that 8,000 jobs will come with the 500-bed hospital, outpatient care center, beds for children and adolescent behavioral health, and a research and education enterprise.

“This campus will create a brighter, healthier future for generations of children and adolescents across North Carolina and the southeast, and we’re thrilled to have Apex as our home and partner,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health and dean of UNC’s School of Medicine.

The NC Children’s campus will be part of Veridea, a 1,000 acre mixed-use community with 8,000 homes, 3.5 million square feet of retail and dining, office and research space, and a new campus for Wake Tech Community College.

“From the moment children and families enter the campus, they will know they are in a place built just for them,” said Dr. Craig Albanese, CEO of Duke Health. “Most importantly, children with the most complex health issues will have access to the most highly specialized pediatric services – right here in the heart of North Carolina.”

The NC Children’s team today issued a request for qualifications to design and construction contractors. Groundbreaking is expected in 2027. Construction is estimated to take about six years.