Edifice Construction Doubles Office Footprint with Charlotte Headquarters Move
By Elise Franco – Real Estate Editor, Charlotte Business Journal
Edifice Construction’s new headquarters is the sort of office space CEO Gary Creed believes will stand the test of time.
The Charlotte-based general contractor recently completed work on its new office — a 39,000-square-foot adaptive-reuse building at 2213 Toomey Ave. in Charlotte’s Wilmore neighborhood. Creed said the office will be the firm’s long-term home for at least 20 years.
Edifice worked with Charlotte architecture and design firm RedLine Design Group on the project to create an elevated space with a clean, modern and industrial-like feel that is functional for employees and guests. Creed declined to share the total project cost but described it as “significant.”
“When you’re a contractor, you can’t build your own space to look so expensive that customers come in and think they can’t afford you,” he said. “The idea was to be professional but not opulent. We wanted to showcase ways to pay attention to details and look really strong from a quality standpoint.”
Edifice started moving employees into the space in February and is now adding the finishing touches. The office has capacity for up to 130 employees, nine conference rooms, a 50-person training room, a speakeasy called The Lodge, a kitchen and lounge area, a mezzanine-level lounge and meeting space, a large covered patio and a fitness center.
Creed said a crucial aspect of designing the new office was creating a space that brings employee and client needs to the forefront.
Entertaining clients and project partners at the office, often during work hours, is an important part of the job, Creed said. In order to minimize noise and disruptions to employees, high-traffic areas like the speakeasy, kitchen, lounge and mezzanine spaces were built at the front with open work spaces and individual offices in the back.
“Working in construction is difficult. It’s stressful and high pressure, and there are days where it can be very overwhelming,” he said. “The best thing we can do is create an environment where our people are empowered and appreciated for what they do.”
Creed said about 90 of Edifice’s 150 Charlotte employees work from the office on a daily basis. The firm is the largest locally owned contractor in Charlotte and the fourth largest overall in the region.
Edifice announced in September that it would relocate from its previous office at 4111 South Blvd. It occupied about 20,000 square feet there starting in late 2016. It also occupied a smaller, secondary space on Clanton Road. Creed said it didn’t take long for the firm to outgrow those spaces. The new office solves the issue long-term by doubling the overall footprint and number of parking spaces, he said.
“This building is almost double what we had before, and we programmed out a little bit less than that really needed,” he said. “It was a perfect fit for us. We love the adaptive-reuse feel and the idea that we could take something old, renovate it, update it and make it into something new.”
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