SouthPark’s tallest office towers get a glow-up
December 23, 2024
“Not your grandfather’s office building”: Towers at SouthPark unveils a $20 million renovation
by Cathy Martin
Chances are, you’ve driven past the twin Towers at SouthPark on Fairview Road a zillion times without giving them a second thought.
The office campus — SouthPark’s tallest at 13 and 14 stories high — made headlines last summer when Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay, a new restaurant from the celebrated chef and TV personality, opened there. Located in the former Zoe’s Kitchen space, the fast-casual spot consistently draws a brisk lunch crowd.
But Bobby’s Burgers isn’t the only thing new at Towers at SouthPark. Just weeks after the restaurant’s soft opening in July, the building unveiled the completion of a two-year, $20 million facelift — the first major renovation since the towers opened in 1998 — that goes well beyond the restaurant known for its signature Crunchburgers and milkshakes.
Visitors might forget they’re in SouthPark upon entering the renovated towers. Dated entrances have been replaced with streamlined, modern facades. Former dark granite lobbies are now bright and airy, with modern globe pendant lighting. A long-vacant office space has been converted into a 4,000-square-foot tenant lounge with a coffee bar, a conference room for 30+ and a smaller boardroom. An on-site fitness center was completely overhauled and doubled in size.
Left: Previously dark granite lobbies were updated with a lighter, brighter aesthetic. Middle: A new tenant lounge with a “California modern” aesthetic. Right: Entrances and plazas were updated with a clean, modern look. Photograph courtesy CBRE.
The renovations came after Detroit-based Crestlight Capital acquired the property from CalSTRS, the California State Teachers Retirement System, in 2022 for $192.5 million. Crestlight also rebranded the campus, which was formerly known as SouthPark Towers.
“Everything worked great, but she just needed a new modern look,” says CBRE’s Stephanie Spivey, who handles leasing for the Towers at SouthPark along with Joe Franco and Kris Westmoreland. Spivey was heavily involved with the renovation project, working alongside Redline Design Group and Barringer Construction.
The design team sought a California modern aesthetic with lighter wood tones and subtle pops of texture and color — not too sterile, yet not too bold, according to Spivey.
“We didn’t want anything too loud because we’re not South End,” Spivey says. “You don’t want to scare away the more traditional user. But then again, you want to appeal to the younger generation as well that can walk in and be proud of where they work. It’s not your grandfather’s office building.”
One of the newest tenants is Oakworth Capital Bank, a Birmingham, Alabama-based bank that opened its Central Carolinas office in the Queen City in late 2023. SouthPark was a no-brainer for the bank’s first North Carolina location.
“Having been in banking in this market for 37 years, SouthPark, behind downtown, is what I’d call the financial hub of the city,” says Oakworth’s Tim Beck. As the bank’s Central Carolinas market leader, Beck is responsible for brand-building in the new location. The Greensboro native’s resume includes stints at Bank of America, SouthTrust Bank, BB&T, First Horizon Bank and Aquesta Bank.
Bobby’s Burgers opened at Towers at SouthPark in July. Photographs courtesy Bobby’s Burgers.
As a “boutique” bank with a defined audience, Beck says many of their clients either live or do business in the SouthPark area. He also lauds efforts by SouthPark Community Partners to increase visibility in the neighborhood, noting the recent rollout of the free Skipper ridesharing service and The Loop, a pedestrian-friendly 3-mile urban trail. Once completed, The Loop will connect the district with a circular path that’s distinct from linear urban trails like South End’s Rail Trail. Towers at SouthPark is directly adjacent to The Loop.
“With the things SouthPark Community Partners is doing to bring connectivity to the market, SouthPark just felt right for us,” Beck says.
With some office buildings in the area beginning to show their age, the proposed renovations at Towers at SouthPark sparked interest after Beck viewed project renderings. Oakworth’s prototypical office is light, bright and modern, Beck says, and the updated building design transitions well with the bank’s first-floor location. Accessibility and amenities such as covered and surface parking, the fitness center, and common areas were also factors.
“It’s those little things that do matter to associates,” Beck adds.
Oakworth Capital Bank is one of the newest tenants at Towers at SouthPark. Photographs by Joe Ciarlante courtesy Oakworth.
Bobby’s Burgers opened its corporate office off Rexford Road in SouthPark about three years ago. “When we have franchisees enter our brand, they visit the SouthPark restaurant for training,” says Anne Pritz, chief marketing officer at Bobby’s Burgers. Franchisees and managers spend several days at the restaurant to learn recipes and how to operate according to brand standards.
“When selecting our flagship location, the Towers at SouthPark offered the ideal backdrop to serve both office tenants and community members, situated in the heart of Charlotte’s most prestigious office and shopping district,” says Dan Beem, chairman of Bobby’s Burgers. “SouthPark has proven to be the perfect home for Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay’s headquarters and flagship restaurant.”
Following the successful debut of Bobby’s Burgers, the Towers are looking to add more restaurant tenants. The former 6100 Café, a no-frills breakfast and lunch spot, shuttered last year after the couple who ran it retired. The building’s owners hope to replace it with a coffee vendor that’s “a little more modern and hip,” Spivey says. They’re also hoping to land another restaurant to fill a former ground-level office space near Bobby’s Burgers.
It’s all part of what Spivey refers to as an “amenities arms race.”
“While folks are pushing return-to-office, many employers are looking for best-in-class amenities, and I think that is a package that we have well delivered at the Towers at SouthPark,” Spivey says. SP
