May 4, 2026 - News

SMBC picks 301 South College for Uptown HQ

Alexandria Sands

Tall glass office buildings rise toward a clear blue sky; a curved-top beige tower stands center, with green trees on the right and a partial Wells Fargo sign at the bottom left. — It's the one with the round "jukebox" top. 301 South College is Charlotte's third-largest office building and is home to the Childress-Klein YMCA. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the Japanese megabank expanding in Charlotte, has selected 301 South College, the former One Wells Fargo Center, as its second U.S. headquarters.

Why it matters: SMBC will base 2,000 employees in the 42-story tower within six years. The first workers will report there as early as this fall, propelling Uptown's comeback from the struggling office market.

Catch up quick: Since announcing its move to Charlotte last month, SMBC is already hiring for over 70 roles and plans to invest $50.5 million locally by fall 2027.

The big picture: Uptown's business corridor is rapidly transforming, with proposed nearby redevelopments adding nighttime and weekend activities, and big lease signings like SMBC's boosting the 9-to-5 foot traffic.

Nearby, developers Riverside Investment & Development (Queensbridge Collective) and Singerman Real Estate, both from Chicago, recently announced they jointly acquired 301 S Tryon St., the separate former Wells Fargo campus.
They plan to redevelop the block with residences, hospitality, retail and new public spaces in the coming years.

👀 What else we're watching: 400 South Tryon's conversion to housing and hotel.

And Brooklyn & Church, the old Duke Energy headquarters turning into luxury apartments.

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SMBC picks 301 South College for Uptown HQ

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