Charlotte Hornets Mark Construction Milestone for New Training Facility

The NBA Charlotte Hornets raised the beam at a topping off ceremony to commemorate a major construction milestone for the Novant Health Performance Center, the organization’s new state‑of‑the‑art training facility currently under construction and scheduled to open in Spring 2027.

The ceremony marked the completion of the building’s structural framework and brought together Hornets and Novant Health leadership, Novant Health Performance Center Foundational Partners Honeywell and Truist, construction and design partners and more than 200 construction workers who have contributed to the project.

The event concluded with the traditional topping‑off ceremony with the final beam – adorned with an American flag, a Hornets flag and a tree in keeping with industry tradition – raised and secured in place.

“Today’s topping‑off ceremony marks a meaningful milestone not only in the construction of the Novant Health Performance Center, but also in the continued evolution of our franchise and our commitment to Charlotte,” stated Hornets Sports & Entertainment Co‑Chairs Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin. “What began here not long ago with a groundbreaking is now taking shape as a world-class facility, made possible by incredible partners, dedicated builders and a shared belief in what this project represents. We’re proud to partner with Novant Health and grateful for the men and women on this site every day who are bringing this vision to life. With the backing of Foundational Partners Honeywell and Truist, we will have the technology and resources required to deliver a best-in-class NBA performance center. Together, we’re building something that will have a lasting impact on our organization and Uptown Charlotte for generations to come.”

The Novant Health Performance Center, which is directly across from the Spectrum Center, is being built to enhance player development and “foster a culture of high performance.” The facility will feature more than 160,000 total square feet of space for training and performance, administrative offices, retail, orthopedic and sports medicine care.

Project partners include design firm Populous, construction firms Gilbane Building Company and Charlotte-based R.J. Leeper, and real-estate consulting firm Lincoln Property Company, who serves as the owner’s rep.

Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) owns the NBA Charlotte Hornets and the Greensboro Swarm (NBA G-League), and operates Spectrum Center, which recently completed a massive, two-phase renovation. Over the past two decades, the arena has hosted nearly 2,500 events and has welcomed more than 25 million guests.

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/05/05/nba-charlotte-hornets-celebrate-topping-off-ceremony-at-new-training-facility/)._