Women's Clothing Boutique Near Me Morrisville, NC

Cheers and balls smacking against cricket bats will echo out of Church Street Park until Tuesday for the first-ever Major League Cricket tournament.

Morrisville, a cricket hub, was selected as one of the two towns alongside Grand Prairie Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas, to host the inaugural season’s matches.

The excitement can be felt in the home of every cricket fan in the town, especially those who made it happen.

Thinking about Morrisville becoming an international hub for the sport gives Jana Chellaperumal “goosebumps.”

“This is a dream come true,” he said. “This is a cricket tournament on a different level that the country has never seen yet.”

Chellaperumal is a former president of the Triangle Cricket League, which has about 60 teams and over 3,000 players in the area. The seed to get Major League Cricket and to put Morrisville on the map for the sport was planted about 10 years ago.

The town first hosted Minor League Cricket games in 2021, giving fans a taste of what would come.

“Hundreds of volunteers worked on the ground,” Chellaperumal said. “So, here we are enjoying the fruit.”

The economic impact the Major League Cricket games will have on the town is yet to be determined, said Rose Cornelius, president of the town’s Chamber of Commerce. Still, over 3,000 people from around the country are expected to be in Church Street Park, at 5800 Cricket Pitch Way, for the games between six founding national teams.

After the games were announced in early June, tickets sold fast, with five of the seven games sold out as of Friday morning.

Church Street Park was expanded for the games, getting more cricket pitch lanes, LED-lit practice pitches and nets, athlete seating, and safety nets. Food trucks will line the park, and CBS Sports and ESPN+ will stream the games in Morrisville and Texas, broadcasting them to thousands of fans.

“We’ve gone from being a park to now a world-class cricket facility in eight years, which is amazing,” Town Councilman Steve Rao said.

USA Cricket started eyeing Morrisville years ago to make more investments in areas with a large fan base, Rao said. Nearly half (46%) of the residents in Morrisville are of Southeast Asian descent.

Because of its large fan base, the bat-and-ball game of cricket — involving two teams, a total of 22 players, and a 22-yard field with wickets at each end — has grown in popularity over the years.

Similar to baseball, one team will bat while the other is on the field during the game. The teams switch during the long inning. The batting team will try to score the runs while the bowling team will try to stop them by fielding the ball.

Teams can score up to 200 points in the match, where the game’s object is to score more runs than your opponent in a certain amount of time. To score a run, players need to hit the ball with the cricket bat.

Most young cricketers have only seen their favorite players on TV or social media, but the games in Morrisville have brought the stars to the town.

Top players include Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan, South African internationals Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock and David Miller, West Indians Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, and Dwayne Bravo, and others from England, Australia, Zimbabwe, India and New Zealand.

Russell, a Jamaican cricketer for the Los Angeles Knight Riders, said in an Instagram post he didn’t know “such lovely ground was in North Carolina.”

The cricket field in Morrisville is one of three International Cricket Council-accredited fields in the country, making it eligible for the T20 Cricket World Cup, a goal for Morrisville leaders.

“We’re hoping that the ICC will choose us,” Mayor TJ Cawley said. “That would have 500 million people watching. We’re hoping that this league will continue to expand and in a couple years, it would be wonderful to have one of our own Major League teams.”

The town is home to the Minor League Cricket team, the Morrisville Raptors.

Tickets for the matches on Monday and Tuesday are still available starting at $12, according to the Major League Cricket website.

Friday night, the Seattle Orcas face off against the Texas Super Kings at 5:30 p.m.

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This story was originally published July 21, 2023, 10:49 AM.

More than two years ago, a genetic testing company announced plans to invest more than $100 million and create hundreds of jobs as part of an expansion into the Triangle. Now those plans seem unlikely to materialize.

Invitae Corp., which is headquartered in California, no longer appears set to fully occupy a large facility in Morrisville that was once considered part of its plans for a major expansion to the East Coast. The company disclosed in its latest quarterly earnings report that its management has decided "to exit the operating leases for ... new laboratory and production facilities in Morrisville, North Carolina." Invitae (NYSE: NVTA) is also looking to exit some office and lab space in San Francisco.

On Monday, days after the this story was published, Invitae told the Triangle Business Journal the company has not yet exited its lease for the Morrisville site and that it currently has a "small presence at the site." In an email, a company spokesperson said, "We do not plan to expand our operation at the site in the foreseeable future."

When asked whether the company is actively seeking a sublease for the Morrisville space, the spokesperson said, "We are evaluating our options and have not shared specific next steps regarding our Morrisville site."

Invitae in April 2021 announced plans for a new testing and laboratory facility in Morrisville. The company later that year signed a lease for all 245,159 square feet of office, research and lab space at a new development called The Stitch – developed at the former site of the Morrisville Outlet Mall off Airport Boulevard right off Interstate 40.

The lease term runs through 2035.

In mid-2022, Invitae announced a restructuring process that would see the company reduce its headcount by 1,000 employees and consolidate its office and lab space. At the time, Invitae said this restructuring would lead to more than $300 million in annual cost savings by the end of 2023.

In the earnings report filed Wednesday, Invitae says it decided to exit "certain leased premises" and begin looking to sublease the properties during both the first and third quarters of the year.

During the first quarter, the company recognized a loss on the disposal of property and equipment of $8.5 million related to lab equipment and leasehold improvements. During the third quarter, the company recognized another loss of $21.6 million for related leasehold improvements, construction-in-process and computer equipment, according to Invitae's quarterly report.

The company had described the Morrisville expansion as a way to further expand its capacity to meet the growing demand for its genetic testing services. The project represented a nearly $115 million investment that would create 374 jobs over multiple years. The state's Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant for the project totaling $6.7 million.

No state payments have been made as part of the incentives grant, said David Rhoades, communications director for the N.C. Department of Commerce. Although the grant was announced two years ago, it's currently in its first active year and the company is required to file its first annual report by March.

It is unclear how many local jobs Invitae has created as part of the incentives deal.

The company's latest earnings report did not say whether Invitae is looking at other sites in the region or state. The company says it has production facilities in California and New Jersey. At the end of 2022, the company said it had 1,700 employees, down from around 3,000 in 2021.

The Stitch is owned by an affiliate of Related Fund Management, which is part of The Related Companies, a real estate investment firm based in New York. The firm acquired the property in 2021 from Equator Capital Management for about $181.8 million.

You can find just about anything in Park West Village in Morrisville, from an eyelash studio to Crumbl Cookies to Five Below.

The sprawling shopping center, located off NW Cary Parkway, is packed with over 627,000 square feet of apartments and shopping and dining options, including Firebirds, Cava, Target, Bath & Body Works and TJ Maxx.

But now three businesses there — the 14-screen B&B Theatres, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar and Which Wich — could be torn down to make way for even more retail, office and residential space.

The owners of Park West Village, Casto Southeast Realty Services, based in Cary, have proposed changes to a development plan that requires the demolition of the buildings, totaling 64,804 square feet, on Village Market Place.

The group wants to construct an additional 27,000 square feet of retail space, 21,000 square feet of office space, and 312 apartments, some of which would be designated affordable housing, according to the Triangle Business Journal, which first reported the news.

None of the changes are imminent. Casto Realty and the town’s Planning and Zoning Board are still reviewing the request to amend their development plan.

Shannon Dixon, the executive vice president of Casto, said in a statement that the “essence of Park West Village’s vibrant mix of residential and commercial spaces will remain intact.”

“Our vision is to enhance and update the entertainment and retail options, complementing them with additional housing, and reinvigorating the community’s experience,” she said. The proposed mixed-use development is similar to Fenton in Cary and to what is coming soon to Durham’s Southpoint mall and University Place in Chapel Hill.

Whether the movie theater and two restaurants will remain in Park West Village is unclear, but it is a goal for Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. The restaurant is adjacent to B&B Theaters and Which Wich on Village Market Place.

Nick Leach, the regional district for the restaurant, told The News & Observer they are talking with Casto Realty.

“We have every intention of staying in that area,” Leach said. “We’re working out the details of what that’s going to look like, but we are aware of the changes and are excited about them.”

Representatives for B&B Theatres and Which Wich could not be reached by phone for comment.

This story was originally published November 10, 2023, 10:21 AM.

Pfizer will close facilities in Durham and Morrisville, part of a company wide “realignment” being made, according to a statement, “to operate more efficiently and effectively.”

The company, which includes a COVID-19 vaccine in its vast portfolio, reported a drop in sales through the first half of 2023, but expected to see sales rebound with the advent of fall COVID cases and vaccination pushes. Pfizer’s profit sank 77% to $2.33 billion in the second quarter while adjusted earnings totaled 67 cents per share. That topped average analyst expectations for 57 cents per share. Revenue dropped 54% to $12.73 billon, which missed forecasts.

“It’s never a good thing when we see jobs go away,” Steve Rao, Morrisville Town Council, said.

This is disappointing news for Morrisville council member Steve Rao, who represents the other Triangle location where Pfizer is closing up shop.

It’s a cost-cutting move -with Pfizer citing a drop in sales for COVID products.

Despite the job cuts at Pfizer, Rao says Morrisville has the momentum for companies to invest in life sciences.

“New jobs can be created, supporting new technology and new technology,” Rao said. That’s why I remain very positive about our economic outlook.”

Pfizer booked about $100 billion in total revenue last year, largely on the boost provided by COVID-19 vaccine sales. Company stock closed Friday at $30.11, down 3.37%.

The company has not filed notice with the state as required under certain circumstances when facilities are closed or mass layoffs planned. The company has more than 80,000 employees worldwide and about 4,000 in North Carolina.

The company statement pointed out that the two largest NC facilities — in Sanford and in Rocky Mount — are unaffected in this round of belt-tightening.

The Rocky Mount facility, which makes injectable medicines used by hospitals, employs about 3,200 people and was damaged in a tornado in July. It has since resumed regular operations.

The Durham Clinical Manufacturing Facility had only been open since December 2021, when plans were to create 50 jobs and relocate 40 employees from Chapel Hill. It is not clear how many people were working there when the closure was announced.

Forge Nano's new lithium-ion battery manufacturing company, Forge Battery, will create hundreds of clean energy jobs in Wake County, NC.

November 22, 2023

Forge Nano, Inc. will launch a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing company in North Carolina. The newly formed company, dubbed Forge Battery, will produce high-energy and high-power lithium-ion battery cells for defense, aerospace, and specialty electric vehicle markets at a newly constructed Gigafactory in Morrisville, NC. Forge Battery plans to use a U.S-focused battery material supply chain to further bolster the domestic battery ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

The company and its investors will make an initial investment of more than $165 million to build the new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility, which will bring hundreds of jobs to Wake County. Forge Battery expects the facility to be operational in 2026.

“Lithium-ion cells utilizing Forge Nano’s Atomic Armor technology have exceeded our customer’s expectations, and in turn, increased demand for the technology that outstrips the current manufacturing capabilities,” said Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano. “We are extremely excited to launch Forge Battery in Morrisville, where we intend to produce batteries for the world’s most demanding applications, while showcasing the power of Forge Nano’s ALD coating tools in a large manufacturing environment.”

Colorado-based Forge Nano improves the performance of materials used in batteries by applying specialized, atomic-scale coatings using proprietary industrial manufacturing equipment. This Atomic Armor technology offers manufacturers protective nano-coating that can increase the battery’s energy density, improve safety, and extend the useable lifetime.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state’s support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process. Although wages will vary depending on the position, the payroll impact for the project is expected to be more than $16 million each year

“Innovation is the heartbeat of the clean energy revolution we’re seeing today,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “I’m pleased an innovative company like Forge Battery has seen and appreciated North Carolina’s many competitive advantages for battery manufacturers, and I know they’ll find both the engineers and operational workers here that will spell success for their company.”

Forge Battery’s North Carolina facility will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. The JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement of up to $1.5 million, spread over 12 years. Forge Battery also expects to receive an additional $6.5 million from the state of North Carolina based on its current investment projections, which include sales tax exemptions on planned capital investment.

“North Carolina’s growing leadership in clean energy can be seen everywhere you look, and Forge Battery’s decision continues our momentum,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “New jobs, new investment, and new opportunities for our people are coming fast as we embrace this vital new sector of the global economy.”

The company selected a site in CaMP Morrisville, a purpose-built cGMP facility designed to support life science and advanced manufacturing operations. The building was developed by Creative Manufacturing Properties (CMP).

“The Forge Battery team has built a tremendous business and is well-positioned to continue its growth in the battery space,” said Chris Brewer of Creative Manufacturing Properties. “CMP is glad to be able to support Forge’s expansion. Our facility and the broader community stand to benefit long-term from Forge Nano’s presence in the region.”

The site falls within one of Wake County’s targeted growth areas, communities that have not historically benefited from our region’s growth. These communities were identified by using an index provided by the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey that measures poverty, unemployment, demographics, housing, and education.

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“Wake County is known worldwide as a hub for tech, biotech and advanced manufacturing,” said Board of Commissioners Chair Shinica Thomas. “Companies like Forge Battery want to grow here, because we have incredible partnerships between the public and private sectors that enable us to work better together. We also offer their employees excellent public schools, top-notch medical care and a quality of life that is second to none.”

By choosing a site in Wake County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, Forge Battery’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $508,500 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. This fund helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

Forge Battery and local North Carolina officials are planning a groundbreaking event in the first half of 2024.