Another prominent Uptown tower, 400 South Tryon, is headed for a major conversion to housing and hotel after falling into foreclosure in 2024.

Why it matters: Uptown has lost some of its vibrancy in the years since the pandemic. Adding more visitors and residents will enliven the city's business district beyond the three days a week most workers now come in.

State of play: As landlords struggle to keep aging towers full in the hybrid-work era, many companies are flocking to younger neighborhoods for the newest office construction and the sleekest amenities.

• This phenomenon, dubbed "flight to quality," puts Uptown at a disadvantage because most of its buildings are older.
• Repurposing office towers for other uses, such as apartments and hotels, may be investors' best bet for recouping.

Driving the news: Spandrel Development Partners recently filed construction permits to redevelop 400 South Tryon, a 30-plus-story building from the '70s, into residential, hotel and retail space.

• Plans also show the developer intends to add two more floors of parking deck space atop the existing structure and redesign the plaza off Tryon and West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
• Spandrel Development Partners, which bought the building, previously known as the Wachovia Center, for $36 million in April 2025, declined to comment.
• The New York firm's first project in Charlotte was the Radius Dilworth apartment tower, which opened in 2024.

By the numbers: Uptown's office buildings are nearly 25% vacant, according to Cushman & Wakefield's Q1 2026 report.

• For comparison, the Midtown-South End market is 11% vacant. That rate shows space is in demand but is a bit below a healthy level, as there are fewer options available to prospective tenants.

The big picture: The first wave of pandemic-induced office conversions will begin opening this year and next, bringing new energy to corners of Uptown.

Read about those projects in the full story

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DoorDash and its drone partner, Wing, have doubled their flying food delivery in the Charlotte area, adding two new operations in Matthews and Indian Trail.

Why it matters: The companies' rapid expansion to reach more than 60,000 households signals Charlotte is embracing futuristic technology, just as more robots (like Waymo's driverless cars) are set to come here.

Zoom out: Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part, recently announced it plans to start delivering prescriptions, labs and medical supplies via Zipline drone in Charlotte in 2027.

Driving the news: Alphabet-owned Wing opened the new drone stations, which it calls "nests," at Sun Valley Commons in Indian Trail and the Lowe's off Matthews Township Parkway.

• At the nest, DoorDash workers pick up orders from nearby businesses and attach the lightweight package to a drone, which then flies up to four miles to the destination, where it lowers the order by tether.
• DoorDash is also delivering via air from Northcross Shopping Center in Huntersville and The Arboretum Shopping Center in south Charlotte, the first location, which opened in May 2025.
• The companies appear to have plans for a University City operation as well, public permit filings show.

Fun fact: Wing tells me the most popular restaurants for drone delivery are Manhattan Bagel, Chopt, Panera and Firehouse Subs.

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• Company overview: Lowe's grew from one small-town hardware store in North Carolina to one of the largest home improvement retailers in the world. Then and now, they're committed to helping their customers solve problems and fulfill dreams for the home.
• In this role: Evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls established to manage Lowe's most significant risks.
• Must-have: 3-5 years of experience in internal/external audit or relevant business experience.

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🏠 Inspired by similar models in New York, a "startup house" will open in South End. The founder of AI firm StealthX is behind the project at 1717 Cleveland Ave., which will host five resident startups and 15 to 20 members. (CBJ 🔒)

💸 North Carolina is beginning to see the ramifications of sports betting, legalized two years ago. Calls to the state's problem gambling hotline more than tripled between 2021 and 2025, and the average age dropped from 43 to 38. (The Ledger/NC Health News)

💡 Duke Energy is proposing a rate hike that could increase bills by up to 18%. A typical residential customer would pay about $28 more per month, followed by a $6 to $7 hike the next year. (WCNC)

🌭 Charlotte hot dog startup Gleezy is partnering with Asheville-born Hi-Wire Brewing on a lager called "Atta Boy." In a "historic first," Harris Teeter will display the beer in the meat department so you get your dogs and beer "in a single stop," per a press release.

🏛️ The North Carolina city of Rocky Mount is at risk of a rare state takeover of its finances after years of overspending and missed audits pushed the city toward insolvency. (Axios)