In uptown Charlotte, $250M revamp of old Duke Energy headquarters hits a milestone
Uptown Charlotte construction crews turning Duke Energy’s former headquarters into a $250 million housing and retail project celebrated the end of demolition work Thursday.
The event for the upcoming Brooklyn & Church development featured remarks from project officials. It was hosted by construction company Balfour Beatty’s project leadership team. MRP Realty, Asana Partners and Rockefeller Group are financing the project, the Charlotte Observer previously reported.
A major makeover for uptown Charlotte
Workers will convert the space into 460 loft-style apartments with nearly 14-foot exposed ceilings and large balconies. The ground floor will feature 25,000 square feet of retail space.
Located at 526 S. Church St., the 13-story, 800,000-square-foot tower was built in the 1970s. The core of the building will be preserved, and the outside is getting a makeover.
To make way for a three-story retail area with 30,000 square feet of space, demolition of the front lobby and atrium began in April. A 60-foot walkway will connect the apartments to the shopping center.
The scale of demolition along Church Street
More than 54,000 tons of debris (180 million pounds) were generated during demolition for the development, said David Stanton, vice president of operations for Balfour Beatty US. He added that 90% of it was recycled.
That work also involved 430,000 man-hours, close to 50 subcontractors and 225 workers per day.
A blueprint for uptown Charlotte building
The estimated completion on the project is September 2027, according to Balfour Beatty.
This project will be the city’s first office-building conversion. City leaders hope it leads to more projects, especially with office vacancies being a concern for the region.
