South Piedmont Community College marked a major milestone on Monday with a topping-out ceremony and the official unveiling of the name for its new coworking space on the Old Charlotte Highway campus.
The ceremony celebrated the placement of the final steel beam, symbolizing the completion of the building’s structural framework. Attendees gathered as crews from Vannoy Construction raised and secured the beam, signaling an important step forward in the project.
The event also featured the announcement of the facility’s name: the L. Carlton Tyson Ascend704 Coworking Space.
L. Carlton Tyson was a prominent local businessman and founder of Ty-Par Realty, LC Tyson Construction Company, and RMMC. Through these ventures, he helped shape Union County by developing numerous residential subdivisions, medical and industrial parks, a golf course, hotels, offices, and retail centers.
Tyson, who passed away in 2019, was also a devoted supporter of South Piedmont Community College. The South Piedmont Tyson Family Center for Technology bears his name, and a generous donation from the Tyson family made the new coworking space possible.
“We are grateful for the Tyson family’s continued support and honored that L. Carlton Tyson’s legacy will live on through a facility that will strengthen our local economy,” said South Piedmont President Dr. Stacy Waters-Bailey.
“We are confident Mr. Tyson would be very proud.”
The name Ascend704 was chosen to reflect the growth, innovation, and upward momentum that will take place within the space as entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals come together to learn, collaborate, and thrive.
The 49,000-square-foot building will include private offices, suites, “hot desks” that will be available for short-term use, a podcasting and videography studio, a large conference center, and an outdoor patio. It will host the South Piedmont Small Business Center, as well as classes, workshops, networking events, guest speakers, seminars, and business pitch competitions.
Ascend704 will be led by Executive Director Renee Hode, who has 20 years of experience in small business development.
In addition to Waters-Bailey, speakers at Monday’s event including Board of Trustees Chair Pat Kahle, Vice President of Business & Workforce Solutions Chris Rivera, Union County Manager Brian Matthews, Workplace Architecture + Design Partner/Principal Project Manager Peter Marsh, Vannoy Construction Division Manager Jason Smith, and Vice President of Institutional Excellence Cyndie Truax.
Each of the speakers emphasized the impact the new coworking space will have on the local economy.
“This is a place where ideas will take root, grow, and flourish,” Matthews said.
Smith added in his remarks: “We look forward to what will be built within these walls long after construction is completed.”
Waters-Bailey extended her thanks to those who, in addition to the Tyson family have made Ascend704 a reality, including:
- the voters of Union County, who in 2022 approved a general obligation bond of nearly $33 million to pay for the project
- the Union County Board of Commissioners
- Union County Manager Brian Matthews
- the South Piedmont Community College Board of Trustees
- the North Carolina Community College System
- Vannoy Construction
- Workplace Architecture & Design
- LB Smith & Associate
- South Piedmont staff members
The Ascend704 building will be completed in 2026.