Advancing the Vision for RTP: Sitdown with Barbara Mulkey, Raleigh-Area Engineering Legend

Barbara Mulkey is founder and retired chairman of Mulkey Engineers & Consultants, Inc., a mid-sized, multi-discipline civil and environmental engineering firm in Cary, NC. Thirty years later, the engineering consulting firm is a powerhouse in the region and is consistently recognized as one of Engineering News Record’s “Top 500 Engineering Companies.”

Mulkey is the new elected chair of Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina‘s Board of Directors. She has served on this board since 2014 and is the first female to serve as chair. 

GroundBreak Carolinas caught up with Mulkey to gain insight about Research Triangle Park, what we can expect to see from the exciting development of Hub RTP, and how she hopes to use her background to advance the vision of the Research Triangle Foundation.

How is RTP evolving?

As a lifelong North Carolinian who began their career in RTP, it is incredibly rewarding to see the Park transform from a place to work into a thriving district where the community can eat, play and stay. The development of Hub RTP, RTP’s vibrant new downtown destination, exemplifies this evolution. At full build out, Hub RTP will be a 100-acre destination featuring up to one million square feet of office and lab space, 250 hotel rooms, 1,200 residential units, and 50K square feet of restaurants and retail.

RTP is ranked among the top research parks in the nation, and we plan to maintain this status by evolving to meet the needs of the next generation of our workforce.

What development projects are on the horizon?

Within Hub RTP, core and shell construction will be completed this spring for Horseshoe, the town square of the development. Horseshoe is a joint venture with the Research Triangle Foundation of NC and Charlotte-based developer White Point Partners, and it is actively leasing to tenants while construction is underway. In addition, pre-leasing for more than 400 thoughtfully designed apartment homes from MAA Nixie is slated to begin summer 2024, marking the first time RTP will welcome residents since its inception in 1959.

A 250-room, Marriott-branded Renaissance hotel will break ground this summer in the heart of Hub RTP. The hotel will create a hub of energy for businesses, travelers and the local community, and is anticipated to open in 2026. Renaissance RTP will also offer more than 13,000 square feet of meeting space to accommodate a variety of gatherings.

Longfellow Real Estate Partners, the largest privately held investor and developer of life science buildings, also recently unveiled Via Labs as the new name and brand of its life science development within Hub RTP.

As we look ahead, we are focused on what we call RTP 3.0 – a strategy designed to optimize RTP’s land resources and support rapid regional growth over the next 50 years.

How will your background help advance RTP’s vision?

With over three decades as a professional engineer and significant experience in higher education leadership, my career aligns seamlessly with RTP’s mission, which I see as threefold:

1. Facilitate collaboration between the Triangle universities.
2. Promote cooperation between universities and industry.
3. Create an economic impact for residents of North Carolina.

My entrepreneurial background has enabled me to forge strong partnerships across industry, academia, and government, ensuring collaborative success.

At the NC State Board of Trustees and the Shelton Leadership Center, I honed skills that translate directly to guiding RTP through its major transformation aimed at boosting economic development for the next 30-50 years. My deep roots in infrastructure planning and community building are directly relevant as RTP evolves to meet future demands. 

What are you most excited about in this new role?

I am most energized by the opportunity to tackle the complex challenges ahead for RTP and our region. My approach combines problem-solving with robust networking, aiming to leverage collaborative achievements through strategic partnerships and teamwork. My excitement is exponentially multiplied when an achievement is shared with a team all pulling in the same direction.

Having been a part of the Triangle’s community for nearly five decades, I am personally invested in RTP’s success and look forward to leading a team of distinguished professionals to innovate and adapt in our fast-changing world – now and for the next 50 years. It’s a new day for economic development and we are going to be on top of it.

Learn more about Barbara Mulkey and the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina by reading this related article (published March 11, 2024): Barbara Mulkey, Triangle Business & Engineering Legend, Appointed Board Chair of Research Triangle Foundation