Tenant Upfit

Turning a shell or existing space into a working business

A tenant upfit builds out commercial space for a specific occupant: interior walls, finishes, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, fire protection, storefronts and the specialty systems the business needs. McDowell Construction completes upfits for national retailers, restaurants, healthcare providers and education tenants across the Eastern United States.

Retail

Retail upfits range from a single store to a full center. Examples include Hey Dude at Concord Mills, Five Below in Holly Springs, where the tilt-wall structure was modified, and a 26,000-square-foot Michaels buildout in Athens, Georgia as part of the Beechwood Shopping Center redevelopment. In Murrells Inlet, The Wholesale Flooring Company moved into one of three spaces created from a former grocery store.

Restaurants

Restaurant upfits put the most demand on mechanical and fire protection systems. At Miyabi Jr. in Tega Cay, hibachi cook tables needed downdraft exhaust, makeup air and specialty fire suppression tied into the fire alarm. Miyabi Jr. Express in Surfside Beach was a smaller 1,500-square-foot restaurant space.

Healthcare and education

Galen College of Nursing occupies a 20,000-square-foot Class A upfit on the third floor of a medical office building in Myrtle Beach. At MUSC in Florence, part of a ninth floor became a physical therapy center inside an operating facility.

Questions about tenant upfits

Do you work for landlords or tenants?

Both. Upfits can be built for the tenant directly or as landlord work ahead of a lease, as at Old Navy in Evans, Georgia.

Can you work from a national brand's prototype drawings?

Yes. Many retail upfits follow brand standards, delivered plan-and-spec.

Contact McDowell Construction to discuss your space.