One of Uptown Charlotte’s most recognizable office towers is getting a dramatic second life. Plans have been filed to transform the mostly vacant 32-story 400 South Tryon tower into nearly 600 apartments, a hotel and new retail space in what would become the city’s largest office-to-residential conversion ever.
New York-based Spandrel has filed construction plans with the City of Charlotte to redevelop the 587,000-square-foot tower into a mixed-use destination featuring up to 599 apartments on the upper 25 floors and a hotel occupying the lower eight floors.
The project also includes a rooftop amenity space, a renovated parking deck with two additional levels, upgraded retail space, a redesigned public plaza and major exterior façade improvements.
The redevelopment marks the latest milestone since Spandrel purchased the mostly vacant 1974 tower at a public auction last April for $36 million, well below its $115.3 million tax value. The property entered foreclosure after its previous owners defaulted on a $93.5 million loan.
Once completed, the conversion will remove nearly 600,000 square feet of underused office space from Uptown, where office vacancy rates remain around 24.5%.
The project reflects a growing trend in Charlotte as developers repurpose aging office buildings into residential and mixed-use communities. Other major conversions include the Johnston Building’s transformation into The Beckworth Hotel and Asana Partners’ redevelopment of Duke Energy’s former headquarters into the Brooklyn & Church project.
Spandrel is no stranger to Charlotte development. The company also completed the 626-unit Radius Dilworth apartment community in 2025.
Built more than 50 years ago and rising 420 feet above Uptown, 400 South Tryon has long been part of Charlotte’s skyline. Its transformation is expected to bring hundreds of new residents and hotel guests into the city center, creating more activity beyond traditional business hours while helping rebalance Uptown’s office market.
