CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
today announced that Duke Energy Plaza, the 40-floor office tower
currently under construction in Uptown Charlotte, will become the
company's new corporate headquarters. Formerly known as Metro
Tower, Duke Energy Plaza will house approximately 4,400 employees
and allow the company to reduce its overall real estate footprint
in the Charlotte area and reduce
costs to benefit customers.
After a thorough review of the company's current and future real
estate needs in Uptown, the company also plans to exit the Duke
Energy Center located at 550 South Tryon Street and Piedmont Town
Center in South Park. Once the new tower is complete, the company
plans to sell its 526 Church Street and 401 College Street
facilities and exit 400 South Tryon Street. The plan will
consolidate the space the company occupies in the Charlotte area over the next several years
with the goal of reducing its footprint from approximately 2.5
million square feet to approximately 1 million square feet.
"We're excited to transition our employees into the Duke Energy
Plaza, where we will drive additional collaboration and innovation
to deliver the affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy
our customers expect and achieve our goal of net-zero carbon
emissions by 2050," said Donna
Council, Duke Energy's senior vice president of
administrative services and real estate. "We're moving to a new
workplace model that provides teammates with more flexibility and
hybrid work options, reducing the need for the large real estate
footprint we currently occupy. We remain firmly committed to Uptown
Charlotte with an office tower that we'll be proud to call our new
home."
Duke Energy continuously reviews all aspects of the business for
opportunities to improve and this real estate plan makes the best
business sense. The company expects this decision will result in
$85-$90
million in savings over the next five years, which will
benefit customers. The company is always focused on running the
business in the most efficient way possible to benefit customers
and maximize shareholder value.
"These actions will allow us to operate our business more
efficiently, enhance employee productivity and better serve our
customers and communities," said Council. "It will also free up
premium real estate in Uptown Charlotte for other purposes."
Construction update
Construction on the new Duke Energy Plaza continues to progress
and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2022 with interior
work extending into 2023.
Approximately 1,000 craftsman and trade workers will be employed
during the three-year construction period, providing a much-needed
economic boost to Charlotte and
the surrounding areas during the pandemic.
New workplace strategy model
The new real estate plan continues the company's efforts to best
house its approximately 6,000 employees and contractors in
Charlotte to continue delivering
affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy, as well as
customer-focused products and services.
The company is adopting a new workplace model where some office
employees will work onsite or remotely full-time, but the majority
of office employees will have a hybrid schedule where they will
split time between working in the office and working remotely.
Duke Energy's corporate headquarters will be located at the new
Duke Energy Plaza beginning in 2023. Until that time, the company
will transition into other existing facilities and begin to adopt
the new workplace model.
Additional renderings of the Duke Energy Plaza for media use are
located here.
Duke Energy Plaza facts
- Developer: Childress Klein Properties
- Building height: 40 stories
- Employees: Will house approximately 4,400
employees
- Total square footage: 1 million square feet
(appx)
- Retail square footage: 25,000 square feet (appx)
- Parking: Seven-level above-ground parking with
1,100 parking spaces
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities
serve 7.9 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves
1.6 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500
people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to
create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities –
with goals of at least a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2030 and
net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S.
renewable energy provider, on track to operate or purchase 16,000
megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company also is
investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery
storage, and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies
such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2021 "World's Most Admired
Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More
information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke
Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos
and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories
about people, innovations, community topics and environmental
issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Cautionary language concerning forward-looking
statements
This document includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking
statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. These
forward-looking statements are identified by terms and phrases such
as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect,"
"continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict,"
"will," "potential," "forecast," "target," "outlook," "guidance,"
and similar expressions. Various factors may cause actual results
to be materially different than the suggested outcomes within
forward-looking statements; accordingly, there is no assurance that
such results will be realized. These risks and uncertainties are
identified and discussed in Duke Energy's most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available
at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In light of these risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the
forward-looking statements might not occur or might occur to a
different extent or at a different time than Duke Energy has
described. Duke Energy expressly disclaims an obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Media contact: Neil Nissan
800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy