Dylan Kwasniewski is the Co-Founder of 6 Summit Capital, a Charlotte-based investment and development firm focused on urban infill opportunities across the region. Since launching the platform in 2020, Dylan has led acquisitions, joint ventures, capital relationships, and the firm’s broader growth initiatives, helping shape a portfolio centered on creative, well-located office, retail, and industrial assets. Prior to co-founding 6 Summit Capital, Dylan served as Vice President at Colliers International and was a professional race car driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Chip Ganassi Racing.

We sat down to discuss his transition from professional motorsports to principal-side investing, why Charlotte remains the primary focus for 6 Summit Capital, and how conviction, creativity, and long-term thinking shape the way his team approaches development in an evolving market. We also explored what excites him most about Charlotte’s next chapter and where he sees opportunity emerging in the years ahead...

Branden Piks:

"I agree, it doesn’t feel like Charlotte is slowing down anytime soon. So, stepping back from the day-to-day, what do you enjoy most about being in the development space? Where do you like to focus your energy and time?"

Dylan Kwasniewski:

"What I enjoy most is the conceptual side — thinking through a business plan, shaping an idea, and watching it iterate into something real.

You’re creating something that, if done right, can stand the test of time and become part of a neighborhood’s fabric.

I’ve always loved the design side of it too. In another life, I probably would’ve gone the architecture route. There’s something really satisfying about the nuts and bolts of putting together a project that’s uniquely positioned in the market.

But from the principal side, I view our role as master managers of process. Development is a relay race as you’re constantly passing the baton between architects, engineers, contractors, leasing teams, and capital partners. The goal is to minimize friction, avoid dropped batons, and keep momentum moving forward. When you zoom out and see how many people have a stake in a single project, it’s pretty impactful."

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Charlotte added the second-most jobs of any metro area in 2025

"The Charlotte region added more jobs than any other metro area in the country except New York City in 2025, bucking the national trend toward slower hiring, according to Labor Department statistics released Friday...."

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How does this impact our region?

Charlotte’s job growth in 2025 was unusually strong with the region adding nearly 37,600 jobs, second only to NYC, and outperformed peer Sun Belt metros. This kind of macro signal typically shows up in the built environment in predictable ways like housing demand increases, certain commercial sectors (retail) following rooftops, and infrastructure capacity.

In fast-growing metros the “first movers” are typically the asset types that can absorb demand quickly, pencil reliably, and scale in phases. Multi-family housing, as a leading example, is usually first and quickest to market, but Charlotte may be in a tough spot as supply growth tapers this year, likely not matching the demand needed. This tapering has widely been discussed and linked to interest rate and price increases during the end of 2024 and into 2025, pausing much of the development activity. Nationally, NMHC’s research finds job growth has a meaningful positive relationship with multifamily performance (even after accounting for new supply).

Job growth (and population growth) tends to increase demand for warehousing, last-mile logistics, and light industrial, especially in metros with strong freight connectivity. Charlotte’s airport adjacency amplifies this. CBRE’s industrial outlook emphasizes occupiers’ focus on supply chain resiliency and efficiency - drivers that keep industrial active even when other sectors soften.

Once rooftops land (often from multifamily first), retail tends to follow - grocers, quick service, medical retail, childcare, fitness, etc. The “retail follows rooftops” dynamic is well documented in economic development circles.

High job growth quickly turns into capacity questions: roads, transit, water/sewer, broadband, and, especially now, power. Infrastructure investment is consistently framed as a prerequisite for economic growth, and it’s often what determines whether development can keep scaling. Locally, ULI Charlotte programming has also been emphasizing growth-driven infrastructure and energy demand pressures.

As metros add jobs, they add households. Households drive demand for clinics/medical office, K–12 expansions, and higher-ed/skills training facilities. This category can lag slightly behind the first wave (housing), but it becomes a steady pipeline in sustained-growth regions.

And lastly, historically, strong job growth = office absorption. But post-2020 dynamics complicate that. Broader market analysis notes structural headwinds from remote/hybrid work and a slower path to “normal” occupancy. Charlotte may still see targeted office growth (Class A, specialized uses, co-work), but compared to multifamily/industrial it’s typically less immediate.

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Summary Thoughts: The Impact on CLT Architecture...

• Multifamily Housing. More podium and wrap product, amenity-driven repositioning, adaptive reuse for residential, and stronger demand for entitlement-ready sites near job centers (secondary city expansion?).
• Industrial and Logistics. Tilt-wall/PEMB projects, flex industrial, cold storage, and higher expectations around office buildouts.
• Neighborhood Retail and Services. Small-format retail centers, mixed-use ground floors, tenant upfits, adaptive reuse of older retail, and “main street” placemaking that supports walkability.
• Infrastructure and Utilities. More public/private coordination, civil-heavy scopes, streetscape + multimodal projects, and “infrastructure-first” thinking for large districts.
• Healthcare and Education. Outpatient/medical office growth, school additions, and community facility upgrades (libraries, parks, recreation).
• Office. Repositioning, conversions, amenity upgrades, and highly selective new-build office, often tied to anchor tenants.

David Chipperfield Architects | 30 Grosvenor Square | London, UK

​Former US Embassy in London now home to world class hotel.

The back end of 2025 marked the completion of one of our most exciting recent interior upfits, PANKO. A Nikkei-style Peruvian restaurant now open in the Inkwell apartment building on 36th Street in NoDa.

Rooted in the fusion of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions, PANKO brings bold flavors, refined presentation, and a layered cultural identity to Charlotte’s dining scene. Their concept celebrates the intersection of technique and heritage pulled together by a balance of precision and vibrancy that directly informed the architectural and interior approach.

The space totals just over 1,700 square feet of interior footprint, complemented by additional outdoor patio seating. The plan includes a full-service commercial kitchen, bar, and open dining layout designed to feel intimate without sacrificing efficiency. From the moment you step inside, a moody, elevated atmosphere greets you with warm lighting, layered textures, and material depth working together to create an immersive experience. On weekends, curated cultural live music activates the space even further, reinforcing the restaurant’s identity beyond just food.

This project was a true collaboration. We worked closely with the owner and their design team based in Colombia, coordinating locally sourced materials and finishes to align with initial concepts influenced by South American manufacturers and materials. Translating those international design intentions into code-compliant, constructible solutions here in Charlotte required careful detailing and strong coordination across trades.

As a first-generation interior upfit within the Inkwell development, the space began with a slab leave-out and base building services that required full re-envisioning and integration. From plumbing tie-ins and kitchen exhaust coordination to lighting layout and finish execution, every system was thoughtfully woven into the overall design intent.

Projects like this reinforce why we love hospitality work. They demand technical rigor, aesthetic sensitivity, and close collaboration — all in service of creating spaces that people remember. Seeing PANKO open its doors in NoDa and adding to the neighborhood’s culinary scene has been incredibly rewarding.

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt