Corporate Development Fosters Public Spaces in Charlotte

Dec 31, 2008
May 1, 2024

Two public plazas abut the entranceway of Bank of America's world headquarters in Charlotte; both were designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates and completed in 1992. The interior of the building also includes two novel public spaces: One is a combination meeting place/marketplace called Founders Hall, while the other is the N.C. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Pelli's first combination of a performance arts complex with an office tower.

The Corporate Center is one of several Charlotte properties featuring public spaces that are owned and managed by Bank of America. Together they exemplify a much larger commitment by the bank to the revitalization of Center City Charlotte. Working with Charlotte Center City Partners (a group that promotes investment in the uptown area), the Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau, and local government, Bank of America has championed the branding of the city's north end into an art, entertainment and cultural district. B of A's corporate real estate department is planning light rail and trolley lines for Charlotte, and the bank has built a parking deck near a rail stop. The bank's portfolio of office buildings integrate retail outlets, housing options, and site-specific artwork, all carefully assembled to create a more livable city.

Owned by: Bank of America

Managed by: Lincoln Harris Property Management. Bank of America has a nationwide program of out-sourcing property management; it contracts with various large firms such as Lincoln Harris and Trammel Crow Company. Each building managment company also manages the public spaces around the property.

Management Program

Maintenance: Lincoln Harris

Security and Hospitality: In Charlotte, the Bank hires off-duty police officers to assure the safety of its associates. The Corporate Center, Odell, and Gateway Village each has a conceirge (provided by the building management company) who orders ticket, et al. for building tenants. Charlotte Center City partners provides information pushcarts on the Corporate Center's Plaza.

Programming: Founders Hall is available for community events. The bank's Cultural Affairs Department programs it.

Marketing and Promotion: Marketing and promotion of center city activities is the responsibility of the Charlotte Center City Partners and the Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau. Bank of America frequently enhances these efforts with additional events to attract visitors to the area.

Funding

Because the bank's public spaces are built and managed as an integral part of larger development projects, there is no separate operating budget for them.

Capital Investment: The bank's investment in Charlotte's center city during the past decade totals approximately $2 billion.

Lessons

Corporate space does not preclude public space; both can co-exist and thrive even within the same building.

Contact

Bank of America Ellison Clary, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs 525 North Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28255 (704) 386-8633

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