New Legacy Union tower in uptown lands tenant

Parker Poe, one of the largest law firms in Charlotte, has signed on to occupy 86,000 square feet across floors six to eight at Bank of America Tower, the 33-story, 850,000-square-foot office building that finished construction earlier this year. Parker Poe is the latest major tenant to be confirmed for Legacy Union, which occupies two contiguous city blocks on a 10-acre site bounded by South Tryon, Stonewall, Mint and Hill streets.

Bank of America Tower, the first building at Legacy Union, broke ground in 2017. Charlotte-headquartered BofA is occupying at least 550,000 square feet at the tower. KPMG is also leasing 46,000 square feet at the building, on floors nine and 10, and is scheduled for an early 2020 move-in, according to a Lincoln Harris spokesman.

A spokesman for Parker Poe confirmed the law firm will relocate entirely out of its current home at Three Wells Fargo Center to Legacy Union by mid-2020. The Charlotte Business Journal previously reported that Wells Fargo, which owns Three Wells, will eventually occupy that entire building as part of its real estate moves here.

Parker Poe ranked No. 5 on a February list by the CBJ of the largest law firms in Charlotte, with 89 local attorneys and 187 total employees here. The law firm will have branding on the tower, which also bears Bank of America signage.

Tom Griffin, Parker Poe’s managing partner, said in a statement that the firm is excited about the move and its partnership with Lincoln Harris.

“In a rapidly changing legal marketplace, we are embracing change and looking forward to a new, agile workspace,” Griffin said. “Our space will match our firm’s forward-thinking culture and encourage clients, lawyers and staff to collaborate in an energized environment.”

Architecture firm Gensler has been tapped to lead the design of Parker Poe’s new space, which is expected to include natural light, integrated technology, active social areas, ergonomic enhancements and wellness spaces.

Lincoln Harris has so far confirmed two office buildings for Legacy Union: Bank of America Tower and the 362,000-square-foot 650 South Tryon, which began construction late last year and will be anchored by Deloitte. Filings with the city indicate a third tower, with potentially 287,000 square feet of office space on Mint Street, could be on deck next.

Taylor Senter, Greg Katz and Mike Hopper at Newmark Knight Frank represented Parker Poe in the transaction. Ridr Knowlton and Campbell Walkerat Lincoln Harris represented the landlord.