Developer makes preservation pitch for Huntersville school 

MECKLENBURG COUNTY

Mecklenburg County is selling historic Torrence-Lytle School in Huntersville, built in 1937 to educate Black students during state-sponsored segregation in North Carolina.

HUNTERSVILLE – Torrence-Lyle School is more than a set of shuttered buildings to Varona Wynn.

It’s part of her family’s legacy.

Wynn, a Torrence-Lytle alumnus whose father was a teacher there from 1949-66, supports saving and preserving the campus, originally named Huntersville Colored School when it opened in 1937 as the only public school for Black students in north Mecklenburg County.

“It would mean a whole lot of my life is appreciated,” she said. “... I still live down the street. It means everything to know that we were not abused for 50 years just letting this sit here after promising that it would be a school when it closed because they could not complete the integration process in this spot because we were a Black community.”

The property was put up for sale by the county in April and a public presentation on Sept. 12 included the first pitch for a preservation project given by Jerry Lee, founder of Little Sugar Creek Developments. 

Little Sugar Creek Developments and Dream Keys are the two developers the county is taking proposals from. Dream Keys will give its proposal on Sept. 19.

“Several people have made it clear to me that the Torrence-Lytle School’s story is far deeper than simply where Black children were educated,” said Little Sugar Creek Development founder Jerry Lee, who led the presentation. “They took pains to make sure that I understood this was also a place where Black culture and community was nurtured and passed down and celebrated. This was a place where people came together, contributed and grew.”

John Howard, Mecklenburg’s historic preservation manager, said it is important the winning bid preserves all four buildings. It’s also important the developer crafts a plan with depth and understanding of the future with them in mind. Lee’s proposal would start with the old cafeteria, then move to the original school building and conclude with the wings. If funding is realized, he envisions completion between 2030-2032. 

“The proposal that we are putting in front of the community is one that will preserve all four buildings,” Lee said, “and to shepherd the process so that it activates this campus again. Our vision for [the original building] is to be turned into a community-focused core with various uses. … We also have the plan to preserve [the old cafeteria] and our vision for that is to have it a small neighborhood-sized food retail hub where you have a bakery, a cafe and a small grocery store. And, on the wings, our vision for that is to turn them into small residential loft apartments about 900 square feet in total.”

CAMERON WILLIAMS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Varona Wynn of Huntersville is a Torrence Lytle School alumnus whose father also taught at the school.

Lee acknowledged there are still funding questions and, in his proposal, acknowledged a one- to two-year process of realizing the initiative if preservation is feasible. 

“Our first plan if we get awarded this project is to seek the pre-development funding possible to do the work,” he said, “to get more educated and that will then allow us to create the package and engage the partners and take this vision one step further.” 

Lee said community feedback is important.

“You’ve got to do your homework,” he said. “You’ve got to be very realistic about the evolution of the community, what it was, what it’s become, how it became, what it is. And I think you need to talk with a lot of people and understand where they’re coming from. Go into almost every conversation with an open mind, which is tough to do. But everybody’s got their own personal story, and everybody’s personal story is true, and you have to honor that. I think that’s where you know you start with doing that.”

Residents had lots of questions.

Wynn said Mecklenburg should take the lead in preserving the campus given the county has owned the property since Torrence-Lytle’s launch. In addition to its place in history, finding new uses for the campus will benefit the community. 

“I am glad [Lee] didn’t divorce his plans from what government should be doing,” she said. “I am basically opposed to the county selling it. They should be rehabilitating it because of their responsibility. They have always owned it beginning in 1937. I don’t know how we can keep the community involved enough to demand that the county puts its money and resources into rehabilitating what they have owned for over 50 years.”

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