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On July 16, 2025, WithersRavenel hosted the fourth installment of LandCon, a specialized event for professionals engaged in the business of acquiring land across the Triangle. Unlike broader real estate conventions, LandCon zeroes in on the land acquisition process and the many variables shaping its future.
This edition of LandCon featured two timely and impactful panels. The first, titled “State of the Land Market”, included speakers Maggie Sparling (Chappell) and Sarah Godwin (Foundry Commercial), who discussed regional development trends. Key insights revealed rising interest in multifamily housing, slowing infill development, and mounting concerns about affordability and zoning hurdles. Neighborhood overlays, resistance to increased density, and a need for more proactive municipal partnerships emerged as consistent themes.
The second panel, “Where AI Meets Land Use,” examined how artificial intelligence and data center demand are transforming how land is evaluated and utilized. Moderated by Jed Byrne, the discussion brought together experts Haynes Strader (Skybox Datacenters), Michael Bailey (American Tower), Terence McCabe (Page), and John Nelms (Duke Energy Corporation). The consensus: access to power is now more critical than access to land. Data center sites require large energy capacities, low latency, and favorable regulatory conditions—factors increasingly influencing regional planning.
Looking ahead, speakers identified Southern Wake, Chatham, Granville, and Northeast Raleigh as strong growth corridors, especially where water and sewer infrastructure are in place. With buyer uncertainty, fluctuating prices, and supply constraints still present, many attendees echoed a call for greater alignment between developers, municipalities, and infrastructure providers.
As LandCon continues to evolve, it remains a key forum for professionals shaping the built environment to exchange knowledge, explore emerging trends, and collaborate across sectors in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions.
