2-Minute Charlotte: Huntersville could lose a historic black gym
2-Minute Charlotte gets you caught up on the day’s most important local news before your coffee has a chance to cool down. Today’s edition: 274 words. Expected reading time: 1 minute, 21 seconds.
A gym and gathering place once considered to be the heart of Huntersville’s black community could be on the chopping block. Mecklenburg County says the Waymer Center is too costly to repair because of the electrical and asbestos issues in the nearly 60-year-old building.
THE BACK STORY: The Waymer Center shares a site with the Torrence-Lytle School, which opened in 1937 as the Huntersville Colored School. It was renamed after two African-American leaders who fought for a black high school in the northern part of the county. The gym went up in 1957. After the school closed in 1966, the Waymer Center became a go-to spot for community events and sports. Even though the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission has wanted to redevelop the property, it doesn’t actually have historic landmark status.
WHY THIS MATTERS: The county estimates it will cost between $1 million and $2 million to restore the facility, which is a lot – but the county is already committed to spending more than twice that for the Carolina Theatre renovations. Commissioners were also quick to commit $500,000 for murals inside the theater and the marquee outside. It doesn’t look like it’s too late to stop the Waymer Center demolition, so it’s worth having the conversation about where our priorities lie in historic preservation.
What people are talking about
HOW SHOULD CMPD USE TASERS: The generally nonlethal weapon is back under scrutiny because of the Kerrick trial. Are they overused?
MORE THAN 130K PEOPLE FOR PRIDE FESTIVAL: Check out the scene on Tryon Street this weekend.
What to watch for
BIG CHANGES FOR I-77 INTERCHANGE: Take a look at the “double crossover diverging diamond” interchange slated for Fort Mill, S.C.
Andrew Dunn: 704-358-5235, @andrew_dunn
This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 9:22 AM with the headline "2-Minute Charlotte: Huntersville could lose a historic black gym."