Project Glass Jobs and Durham's Civil Rights Legacy
The Durham County Board of Commissioners fields resident concerns about a data center moratorium, honors civil rights trailblazer Dr. Virginia Williams, and advances plans for a new animal shelter and ambulance purchases. The board and partners from Durham Tech, NCCU, and Durham Public Schools detail what AbbVie’s Project Glass investment means for local jobs, tax revenue, and homegrown talent before approving a performance agreement and navigating a consent agenda recusal. 24mins
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Original Meeting
Monday, July 13th, 2026
14922.935875
Board of County Commissioners on 2026-07-13 5:00 PM - Regular Session
In This Video
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Architect Charles Nicholson explained revisions to the animal shelter floor plan that reduced dog space and increased cat space, outlined the building’s 50-year lifespan and expansion potential, and described its emphasis on supporting owners to keep pets with their families rather than surrendering them.
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Commissioner Valentine asked about the timeline for deploying six new ambulances, and Director Lockhart explained that the units would arrive in 16–18 months under a new procurement agreement, cost about $50,000 less per vehicle, replace five existing units, and add one expansion unit tied to recently approved staffing.
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Economic Development Manager Matt Filter presented Project Glass as a major recruitment proposal through AbbVie that would create 734 manufacturing-focused jobs, invest nearly $1.3 billion, generate $58 million in new tax revenue over ten years, and offer a performance-based incentive tied to job, investment, tax payment, and local workforce development commitments.
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Helen Fitzpatrick of AbbVie described the company’s $1.4 billion investment in a new Durham advanced manufacturing campus that would serve as a U.S. Center of Excellence, create 734 permanent jobs and over 2,000 construction jobs, and reflect AbbVie’s broader commitment to domestic R&D and manufacturing in a region chosen for its strong life sciences ecosystem, talent, and supportive public policy environment.
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J.B. Buxton, president of Durham Tech, emphasized that Project Glass would provide hundreds of well-paying, accessible jobs for local residents—particularly graduates of Durham Public Schools, Durham Tech, and NC Central—and highlighted AbbVie’s strong stated commitment to the surrounding community and global health.
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Director of CTE Darian Harris of Durham Public Schools expressed strong support for AbbVie’s Project Glass investment, explaining that most of the new jobs would be accessible to students on CTE and postsecondary pathways and describing a clear route from high school biotechnology and health science programs through Durham Tech into advanced manufacturing and laboratory careers.
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