Trinity Capital Advisors and Town Lane have kicked off a $20 million renovation at 440 South Church, the 15-story, 388,657-square-foot office tower in uptown Charlotte.

Charlotte-based Trinity Capital, which originally built the tower in 2009, partnered with New York’s Town Lane to buy it back from Epic Investment Partners last October for roughly $75.8 million.

The scope covers 21,000 square feet of interior space plus street-level upgrades, with completion targeted for Q2 2027. Rhea Greene, Trinity Partners’ managing partner and the building’s leasing agent, said the firms are also building 24,000 square feet of speculative suites on floors nine and ten. Of the total budget, $11.5 million is earmarked for the lobby and amenity work and $8.5 million for the spec suites.

Greene described the goal as leaning into the building’s relative youth to create a lobby that feels more like a boutique hotel than a conventional office tower – approachable and design-driven, matching how people actually want to use shared space now.

Most of the transformation centers on the two lobbies: high-top work tables, a connecting lounge/parlor, and a full-service café. Since one lobby fronts South Church Street and the other links to the parking garage, renovations will roll out in phases so one entrance stays operational throughout. Collier described the aim as a casual gathering spot people pass through or linger in, rather than a purely corporate entry point. The existing amenity floor’s conference rooms will also get new updated displays, video conferencing, speakers and mics.

The facade itself isn’t changing, but the lobby will open to the street for outdoor seating, adding to foot-traffic connectivity near Asana Partners’ Brooklyn & Church development at 526 S. Church St. Collier noted uptown’s “center of gravity” has shifted toward this stretch over the past decade, away from Trade and Tryon.

Redline Design Group (architect/designer) and Choate Construction (general contractor), both Charlotte firms, are handling the project. Retail tenant Hasaki Grill & Sushi is staying put; another retail space will become a property management office and coffee bar, while Thrift Commercial Real Estate, which handles retail leasing, is reportedly eyeing a sit-down café concept for the remaining ground-floor spot. Greene noted that with Brooklyn & Church adding 57,000 square feet of retail nearby next year, the combined activity across both blocks should meaningfully change the area’s street-level energy.

On leasing, Greene said tenant expectations have shifted, and older Class A buildings willing to reinvest are the ones winning deals as uptown’s newest towers fill up. Interest in 440 South Church has been steady, but many prospects were waiting to see the renovation plans materialize, something she expects construction activity to accelerate. The building is currently about 45% leased, with tenants including Driven Brands and HDR Engineering. Roughly 188,800 square feet remains available, including more than 84,000 square feet across the top three floors, space Greene sees as a signage opportunity for a larger anchor tenant. Demand, she said, is running the typical uptown range of 5,000 to 80,000 square feet.