Greensboro, NC – August 25, 2020: NAIOP North Carolina comprised of NAIOP Charlotte, NAIOP Piedmont Triad, and NAIOP Raleigh Durham, is recognizing our 2020 project winners. NAIOP is proud to recognize projects that positively influence our communities and industry in North Carolina.
The winning projects will be officially announced during an upcoming NAIOP NC webinar this September. The award presentation was initially scheduled to be held at the 2020 NAIOP NC conference at Pinehurst in March but due to COVID-19 the conference has been rescheduled to March 2021 at which time we will again recognize our 2020 winners along with our 2021 winners.
2020 Award Winners
New Development Project of the Year: The RailYard at South End submitted by Edifice, Inc.
The RailYard South End was developed by Beacon Partners, conceived by The RBA Group, Inc. and brought to life by general contractor, Edifice. The project is located on a full city block in Charlotte and includes two – eight-story towers totaling 330,000sf, 30,000sf of retail space, a 950-space parking deck, and a connector on four levels.
Predominantly exposed steel, brick, and glass each tower contains Class A creative office space, along with ground-level retail shops and restaurants. Outdoor courtyards, balconies, and well-planned green spaces complement the design while encouraging interaction in a warm and creative setting. Additionally, the parking deck serves the needs of The RailYard customers, tenants, and residents.
Redevelopment/Adaptive Reuse Project of the Year: Optimist Hall submitted by Barnhill Contracting Co.
Optimist Hall is a 147,000 SF redevelopment of a former gingham mill, Highland Park Manufacturing Company Mill No. 1 (“Highland Park Mill No. 1”), that features a food hall complemented by retail, restaurants, and creative office space. Located in the Optimist Park neighborhood between Uptown and NoDa in Charlotte, the development has transformed the turn-of-the-century textile mill into one of the most unique projects in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
Optimist Hall retains many of the property’s original, 120+year-old elements including hardwood floors, soaring 14+ foot ceilings, and brick and beam interiors with rue industrial character. The project includes 91,000 SF of creative office space, a 22,000 SF food hall and 34,000 SF of restaurant and retail space. The developer, a joint venture between Charlotte-based White Point Partners and Atlanta-based Paces Properties, collaborated with Perkins + Will, Barnhill, Fearnbach History Services, NC State Historic Preservation Office, National Park Service and The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission to effectively and efficiently preserve, yet also transform, the historic industrial space.
NAIOP is the nation’s leading trade organization dedicated to representing industrial, office, retail and related commercial real estate. NAIOP North Carolina is made up of the Charlotte, Piedmont Triad, and Raleigh Durham chapters. Learn more at naiopnc.org
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