Charlotte City Council adopted an updated Strategic Energy Action Plan outlining “bold goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to clean energy and create a more resilient community” in May. The plan builds on the city’s Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2021.

The Strategic Energy Action Plan outlines five steps to move the city toward zero-carbon: shifting energy demand, reducing energy consumption, changing the type of energy consumed, generating energy on-site and purchasing the remainder of energy from zero-carbon sources.

The city tapped Swinerton Builders to build the firehouse and the $19.7 million station for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Northwest Division. Swinerton last year broke ground on the 14,000-square-foot Firehouse #30, which is expected to be completed this month. It broke ground on the police station, which it anticipates will be complete in September 2026, in June.

“Being able to be part of the building process and see some of the different features that the city is starting to look at from a sustainability standpoint is really intriguing,” said Kevin Smith, vice president, division manager for Swinerton Carolinas Division.

Firehouse #30 is one of the first all-electric facilities of its kind in the U.S., according to Swinerton. Smith said the city stipulated the project qualify for U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification, but it is on track to obtain LEED Gold.

The firehouse will house an all-electric Vector fire truck, expected to be the first of its kind to operate in the Southeast region.

The 16,000-square-foot police station will be climate-controlled by a geothermic well system that uses the earth’s stable temperature to heat and cool the building without fuel or electricity. A solar field is planned for powering the building’s infrastructure.

North Carolina Construction News

Swinerton an industry-leading commercial general contractor with offices nationwide, started construction on its latest hospitality project, a 10,000-square-foot restaurant in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. The construction of Market on Morehead, a sister concept of the successful Market on Main in Columbia, SC, is on schedule to be complete by year-end. The restaurant is expected to open this winter.

“With their creative interiors, innovative layouts and unique construction challenges, restaurants are some of our favorite projects to tackle,” explains Thomas Ivy, project executive, Swinerton’s Carolinas division. “Market on Morehead is particularly exciting as it further activates this stretch of Charlotte’s Rail Trail with an energetic, bold and inviting dining and socializing destination.”

The restaurant is located on the ground level of The Offices of Carson Station at 1001 Morehead Drive.

Co-owned by restauranteur Josh Willoughby, Market on Morehead introduces a new element to the building’s ground floor level overlooking the Rail Trail at Carson Station. The restaurant accommodates up to 400 patrons in an open floorplan with a casual, bistro-style atmosphere. Features include a 62-table dining room with five banquettes of various lengths; a double-sided bar that seats 50 patrons; an expansive, 2,800-square-foot, climate-controlled patio with a 25-foot LED TV visible from the Rail Trail and LYNX rail line stop; a fenced-in turf park for off-leash dogs and interior and exterior performance stages for live entertainment.

Building Design + Construction?

The general contractor Swinerton is working on two public safety projects in North Carolina that showcase sustainability.

The firm recently started construction on a $19.7 million police station for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Northwest Division. This 16,000-sf steel framed structure will be the city’s first net-zero-energy station, in that it will create energy on site via geothermal heating and cooling and solar power, according to the?Mecklenburg Times. Charlotte’s goal is to power its municipal operations and fleet with zero-carbon sources by 2030.

The AEC firms on this project include the police department’s architect C Design, Stewart Engineering (SE), AME Consulting Engineering (MEP), and Timmons Group (CE). The police station is scheduled for completion in September 2026, when it will have 50 employees and include standard administrative rooms such as 11 private offices, two meeting rooms, a detective bullpen, a suspect interview room, secure evidence and weapons storage, and rooms for mechanical and electrical equipment. Staff amenities feature a fitness room, breakroom with kitchen, and two locker rooms with bathrooms.

Another Swinerton project is Charlotte Fire Station #30, a first-of-its-kind in the U.S. all-electric firehouse that is on track to be completed later this summer. The team on this $16.4 million 14,500-sf replacement building with two stories and three bays includes the fire station’s architect ADW Architects, AME Consulting Engineering (MEP), Stewart Engineering (SE), and Benesch (CE).

Construction Dive

CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What were the key drivers behind Swinerton’s growth over the past year?

KEVIN SMITH:?Throughout our 135-year-plus tenure, strong industry relationships have been the key to Swinerton’s success.

Our trusted trade partners uphold our standards of quality and excellence, working alongside our teams to make a client’s vision reality. Our national accounts team and target market leaders deliver consistent, efficient service nationwide. This model has enabled us to build over $10 billion worth of projects for leading clients across markets, such as aerospace, finance, hospitality, industrial manufacturing, large-scale and luxury retail, science and technology and corporate workplaces. Swinerton has also developed an ecosystem of companies that support each other and fulfill a variety of client needs, from mass timber to sustainable energy and beyond.

Finally, strategic leadership appointments and ongoing talent investment continue to position Swinerton for bold growth goals across key markets.

How has Swinerton’s project mix evolved recently? Which sectors have been most active?

Swinerton continues to evolve its project mix by expanding expertise and pursuing innovation across markets.

To ensure long-term stability, we have focused on diversifying our portfolio nationwide. One sector of recent focus is public and civic and public-private partnerships, where we’re partnering with municipalities, government entities and communities to deliver efficient, community-focused design and construction.

In the Carolinas, we are nearing completion of Charlotte’s first all-electric firehouse and have broken ground on the city’s first net-zero carbon police station. Our civic portfolio also includes libraries, courthouses and community centers.

How have tariffs impacted costs and how is that affecting your procurement strategy?

Tariffs have created ambiguity in the market, making it challenging for our trade partners and self-perform teams to establish firm fixed costs for building materials. In response, we are engaging in transparent conversations with clients to explore mitigation strategies.

We assess which materials may be impacted, evaluate the origin of manufacturing and identify opportunities to redirect efforts toward domestic options. One effective approach has been the increased use of mass timber across projects nationwide. This reduces exposure to cost escalation risks and material availability concerns.

Further, mass timber provides opportunities for budget and schedule efficiencies.

Do you think a potential interest rate cut could unlock demand for construction activity for private work?

Investors and developers continue to seek stability in the current market to push projects forward. A rate cut could help stimulate private sector construction by reducing financing costs.

However, sustained demand will depend more on market stability and predictability, which are essential for investor and developer confidence.

Are there any other trends Swinerton is keeping tabs on?

The skilled labor shortage continues to be a challenge for the construction industry.

Swinerton actively addresses this by partnering with organizations like SkillsUSA and local schools to educate young professionals on construction careers. We also offer an apprenticeship program that provides hands-on training and a clear path for advancement from entry-level roles to supervisory positions.

Investing in workforce development remains a top priority, as the next generation of construction professionals is critical to our long-term success.

Additionally, we also continue to expand our focus on target markets such as aviation and healthcare. These markets demand innovative solutions, and we are committed to delivering environments that enhance the experience for travelers and patients.

North Carolina Construction News

The city awarded the construction phase of the new Northwest Division station to?Swinerton. According to a Charlotte City Council agenda item from February 2025, the council approved a Construction Manager at Risk contract for up to $19.67?million, covering construction and coordination through project completion in 2027.

The net zero-carbon structure will operate on clean energy with reduced environmental impacts. The division will be located on Mount Holly-Huntersville Road. Construction is set to finish by 2027.

“Today marked a groundbreaking moment for CMPD as we officially broke ground on what will soon be our newest division, the Northwest Division,” the fire department wrote on X. “This momentous occasion represents more than just a new building; it reflects our unwavering commitment to serve every community in Charlotte to the best of our ability.

“We’re excited to deepen our connection with the northwest Charlotte communities and look forward to the important work we’ll accomplish together.

Seven years after expanding its operations to the East Coast, California-based GC?Swinerton?has witnessed notable growth. Its Carolinas division has seen its revenue jump 16,000% (that’s not a typo) since Swinerton launched it in Charlotte, N.C., in 2018. Its Atlanta division, which began operating that same year, has generated 923% revenue growth. And the builder’s New York Metro division has increased its annual revenue 238% since opening in 2021.

Last year, Swinerton’s gross revenue from all building types, sectors and services nationwide was $4.85 billion. Collectively, the three East Coast divisions alone are on pace to produce nearly $450 million in revenue in 2025, a nearly 83% gain over the previous year.

“Continued growth is expected for all East Coast divisions,” asserted Kevin Smith, vice president and division manager, Swinerton’s Carolinas division, in a prepared statement.

The Carolinas division should top $185 million this year, Atlanta $175 million, and New York Metro $76 million.

The Atlanta division has delivered projects for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines, T-Mobile, OneStreet Residential, and WeWork, among other companies. The New York Metro division’s clients include Patreon (whose ASD|SKY-designed fit-out of its corporate office was part of a multi-phased, 35,000-sf refresh of a landmark tower), Milstein Properties, Warsaw Theater, and Public Storage.

The Carolinas division’s clients have included T-Mobile, the city of Charlotte, and Melmark. In Wilmington, N.C., Swinerton, in a joint venture with Monteith Construction, provided GC services for a 67,000-sf, four-story, mass timber framed office building for Live Oak Bank, the first of its kind in eastern North Carolina.

Capitalizing on the explosive popularity of the recreational sport pickleball, Swinerton partnered with hospitality brand Protagonist Beer to challenge expectations of what an entertainment-focused eatery can be. Tipsy Pickle is a monumental mixed-use “eater-tainment” space that incorporates over 35,000 square feet of interior and exterior amenities for guests to play, socialize, and shop. This adaptive reuse building transformed a former military site.

Adding Another Chapter to the Story

Located in the Camp North End neighborhood of Charlotte, Tipsy Pickle sits on a 76- acre facility that first functioned as a car manufacturing plant for Ford Motor Company, creating close to 300,000 Model T and Model A cars. Henry Ford had worked with a Detroit-based architect to design and build the site’s original structure, including the iconic water tower—which still stands today.

After the company shuttered the facility’s doors during the Great Depression, the US Army purchased the site in 1940 and added five large warehouses and several outbuildings, first to support the war efforts and later to facilitate research, development, and manufacturing throughout the Cold War. In 2017, developer ATCO Properties purchased the site and began ambitious plans to reconnect it to the local community by redeveloping close to 3 million square feet of vibrant, mixed-use space.

Designed by Southwick Architecture + Interiors, Tipsy Pickle is located in one of the US Army’s former weapons storage facilities. This site was classified as a “brownfield”—a property for which development might be complicated due to the presence of contaminants—and required a vapor intrusion mitigation system to remove any potential hazardous or pollutant substances housed in the soil. The Swinerton team closely followed all proper procedures and worked under intense oversight from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), all while securing the highest levels of safety.

Leveraging the Full Potential of Adaptive Reuse

Swinerton’s 135 years of construction expertise, array of sophisticated technology, and ability to problem-solve challenges with historic structures make the firm a true value-add partner for adaptive reuse projects. Close attention to detail is paramount, not only to ensure safety and quality, but to maximize opportunities to leverage the unique attributes of the existing structure to achieve the project’s design, schedule, and budget intentions.

At Tipsy Pickle, the project team utilized pre-existing exterior envelope penetrations to install new, modernized overhead roll-up doors. Additionally, one of the original garage doors was transformed into a traditional swinging door with adjacent windows. The team was also able to retrofit existing, unused kitchen equipment from another restaurant in Camp North End that did not come to fruition, providing significant budget savings for the client.

However, one of the project’s most significant challenges was not visible above-ground.

Navigating Historic Tunnels

An underground network of concrete tunnels winds beneath Tipsy Pickle, a remnant of the site’s former military use. Prior to the start of the project, the tunnels had already been covered with a concrete slab and filled with dirt. But this slab was thicker than previously anticipated by the project team.

The team utilized a Matterport scan that mapped the existing underground water, sanitary, and sprinkler main lines that were needed to support the space. In order to remain as efficient and cost-effective as possible, the team strategically aligned Tipsy Pickle’s Mechanical, Engineering, and Plumbing (MEP) systems through the inside of the dirt-filled tunnels. This reduced the amount of coring to only a select number of concrete tunnel walls.

Getting things right the first time was the only option with these conditions, especially when working with the kitchen vendors to install sanitary lines underneath the concrete slab. The project team ensured that concrete penetration and connection points were pre-planned and verified. Furthermore, the team was able to conduct slab repairs and add additional footings to provide structural support for Tipsy Pickle’s interior mezzanine.

Proven Hospitality Success

The local team’s ability to deliver this technically complex build is a testament to the strength of Swinerton’s expertise, resources, and hospitality prowess. In addition to installing a full commercial kitchen, two bars across two levels, and all the associated equipment, ventilation, and finishes, Swinerton facilitated close collaboration with kitchen vendors, food service providers, golf simulation installation teams, audiovisual trade partners, and a historic review board to bring the client’s vision to life.

Swinerton’s collaboration with the client demonstrates why the firm is a top-ranking hospitality builder nationwide. The team provided design assistance and building expertise where necessary to realize the design intent, but allowed the owner to drive the overall brand vision. When unexpected conditions threatened the schedule, the team worked with the client to make strategic onsite scope adjustment— and even provided additional cost savings by self-performing the drywall and acoustic ceiling tiles scopes.

More than just a hallmark of a successful collaboration, Tipsy Pickle marks another milestone in rich innovative and entrepreneurial history of the Camp North End development.

NAIOP | Commercial Real Estate Development Association

In?2023,?45% of projects billed by U.S. architects?focused on the renovation, rehabilitation, retrofitting, extension or preservation of existing buildings, according to the?American Institute of Architects. Swinerton is one of the construction firms at the forefront of these transformations, not just for clients but for its own offices.

Putting Down Roots

In 2018,?Swinerton?launched its Carolinas division and set about finding a prime location for office space in Charlotte. Ideally, it would be near active areas within the market and appeal to employees and clients. Additionally, the space would have room for expansion and reflect Swinerton’s culture as builders.

Nestled on 100 acres of beautiful coastal land in Wilmington, NC, the area’s first fully mass timber office building stands as an inviting wood and glass edifice.

Delivered as a joint venture between Swinerton Builders and Monteith Construction, Live Oak Bank Building 4 is a milestone project spanning four stories of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam). It also marks the first building to use fabricated components from the new East Coast facility of Swinerton’s mass timber affiliate Timberlab.

Building 4 maximizes the biophilic properties of exposed timber through its 67,000-square-foot building footprint, bringing health and wellness benefits to more than 320 full-time Live Oak Bank employees who will use the space. The construction of the building was equally transformative, leveraging cutting-edge VDC technologies to maximize efficiencies and minimize errors and waste—particularly with the extensive mass timber scope.

Coordinating the Mass Timber Fabrication

Swinerton was responsible for 34% of the total project scope, including the concrete, masonry, interior framing and hanging, and exterior framing and sheathing, while Timberlab was responsible for the design, procurement, fabrication, and installation of the mass timber structure. The mass timber components in particular required detailed coordination. Utilizing Southern yellow pine—a hardwood native to the Southeast that has gained popularity among architects—the mass timber components were prefabricated offsite at Timberlab’s facility in Greenville, SC, to exact building specifications. The interior design plans called for visible MEP systems throughout much of the building, requiring multiple MEP schematics to ensure the systems’ functionality and alignment with the original aesthetic vision.

To execute the original design aesthetic while maintaining MEP system requirements, the team maximized the soffit height, allowing as much light into the space as possible while still properly housing the MEP systems. With less than an inch of tolerance in some of the soffits, quality and attention to detail were critical to successfully integrating the systems within the design. Leveraging VDC technology, Swinerton and Monteith preplanned floor penetration locations before the CLT panels were fabricated in order to provide service access from the floor above.

Additionally, the HVAC system had multiple refrigerant lines that needed to be precisely modeled and coordinated with maximum run lengths in mind. The CLT panels also had a maximum opening size, so ductwork had to be sized and located based on Timberlab’s exact calculations. The plans underwent multiple revisions by the team as they raced against the fabrication deadline for the mass timber components.

Due to Swinerton, Monteith, and Timberlab’s close collaboration, the teams were able to align the MEP penetrations with mass timber’s capabilities and aesthetic—and then ensure these details were correctly reflected in the final fabrication of components in the offsite facility. Once fabrication was completed, the CLT arrived at the site in 22 truckloads, while 20 trucks brought the glulam components.
Circumventing Weather Delays

As with many ground-up construction projects, Building 4’s progress was weather-dependent and required weather-proofing to protect the mass timber elements. While most of the surface area of the mass timber beams is sealed to protect the wood, the open penetrations were susceptible to water infiltration, leading to potential streaking or staining.

To avoid this risk of water intrusion, the team created a custom weather barrier from the ground floor to the roof. This barrier allowed the MEP teams to continue work before the roof was installed. Paired with the schedule efficiencies already afforded by mass timber construction itself, the project was delivered six months faster than a comparable build made with traditional concrete or steel.

As mass timber adoption accelerates in the US commercial construction market, successes like Live Oak Bank Building 4 exemplify the value of partnering with firms who holistically understand the nuances, challenges, and potential of this innovative building material. Swinerton and Timberlab are proud to continue pushing the boundaries of mass timber innovation and delivery, and defining the future of construction.