Item:
Title
Public Hearing to Consider a Performance-Based Award for Project Glass with AbbVie Inc. (20min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: July 13, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to hold a public hearing to consider a performance-based award for Project Glass with AbbVie Inc. ("AbbVie") in a not-to-exceed amount of $15,450,000 and to authorize the County Manager to negotiate and execute a performance agreement for the award. This new manufacturing project will create approximately 734 jobs and invest $1,295,000,000 over a five-year period at the Parmer Edge site in Durham.
The performance-based award will be funded by the new tax revenue generated by Project Glass; the award pays for itself and the revenue would not exist but for Project Glass. All payments for the project will adhere to the Durham County Business Recruitment & Expansion Policy and will only occur following annual performance verification that the Company has met its job creation, investment, and community partnership commitments. This includes maintaining that property taxes paid annually are at a minimum twice the scheduled payment amount.
This is AbbVie's first major investment in North Carolina. The site was selected for the strength of the region's local workforce and its ability to support future expansion. When completed, this campus will serve as AbbVie's U.S. center of excellence for small volume parenteral (SVP) manufacturing and deliver next-generation medicines to patients in the U.S. and worldwide.
Manufacturing is a priority for Durham County. Approximately 65% of the jobs will be open to those with a high school, 2yr or 4yr degree; approximately 87% of the jobs will be open to those with a 2yr or 4yr degree. Additionally, with approval of this award, the Company has agreed to make good faith efforts to support the local talent pipeline through internships and apprenticeships and to participate in Durham Public Schools Career and Technical...
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