There's a new space coming to Uptown to foster creativity and entrepreneurship, thanks to Do Greater Charlotte, a Charlotte-area nonprofit.

The Creative Lab Uptown (500 N. Tryon St.) will be housed in the former office of architectural firm Gantt Huberman, of which former Charlotte Mayor Harvey B. Gantt was a partner. The 20,000-sqft, three-story space will be reimagined to become a state-of-the-art facility where students and young professionals (ages 16-24) can access technology to cultivate their business ventures.

“This lab will be a beacon for Charlotte’s next generation of creators and entrepreneurs, offering them a place to connect, collaborate, and shape the future,” said William McNeely, founder and CEO of Do Greater Charlotte.

Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey B. Gantt attended the construction kickoff at the Creative Lab Uptown. | Photo by Gresham Smith

To help make the hub a reality, Wells Fargo donated $750,000 to the cause + will have naming rights for the second floor — called The Wells Fargo Lab for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

“Wells Fargo is proud to support Do Greater Charlotte and their Creative Lab Uptown,” said April Schneider, head of Small & Business Banking for Wells Fargo.

The new hub was part of a 2023 competition led by Charlotte Center City Partners to revamp and reuse vintage office buildings in Uptown Charlotte.

“These design choices will honor the past while thoughtfully integrating a modern vision, creating a space that is both nostalgic and forward-looking,” said Sivilay Xayasaene, a lead designer of the project.

Each floor will have its own purpose, such as a creative digital academy and content development studio boasting state-of-the-art equipment to use at no cost. The Lab expects to serve up to 10,000 creatives and entrepreneurs per year.

The Creative Lab Uptown is expected to open in 2025.