RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The tree-lined I-40 landscape through Research Triangle Park will soon be overlooked by an office tower with The Hub project landing a 220,000 square foot building from Longfellow Real Estate Partners.

The Research Triangle Foundation, which runs the Park and is driving The Hub project that someday is set to include more than 2 million square feet of office and retail space as well as residential living, and Longfellow announced the building Wednesday.

While the exact height of the tower wasn’t disclosed, it will be visible from both directions of traffic along I-40 that bisects RTP, a spokesperson for Longfellow confirmed in a discussion about renderings included in the news announcement.

Longfellow plans to devote the structure to office and lab space.

The company already is a very active life science developer in the Triangle region, including the Durham Innovation District in Durham’s downtown and Keystone TechnologyPark in RTP. And the new building is the latest in a growing lists of life science investments across the Triangle region from Fuijifilm to Eli Lilly and numerous others.

“Longfellow has been invested in the Research Triangle Park for years, helping develop and create world class lab and office space for some of the top companies in the world,” said Longfellow Partner Jessica Brock in the announcement. “Having a landmark development right off of I-40, central to RTP, only reinforces the partnership with our community, tenants and neighbors.”

The Research Triangle Foundation has announced a servies of advances in the transformation of what was former office and retail space along Davis Drive and NC Highway 54.

“The participation of Longfellow Real Estate Partners on the Hub RTP development validates the strength of our concept for this new center for RTP,” said Scott Levitan, CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation. “Longfellow is one of the top developers in North America, and they continue to expand within the Triangle Region as one of their core markets. Deep, sustained investment in RTP is what has made our area so attractive throughout the years and continues to help sustain and improve our economy year over year.”

Map courtesy Research Triangle Park Foundation.