CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – A historic landmark from Charlotte’s former Brooklyn neighborhood — the McCrorey YMCA — is up for sale again, raising concerns it could be demolished and further erase the footprint of the city’s first Black neighborhood.
Arthur Griffin remembers walking through its doors as a boy and discovering small details still visible today, including “YMCA” lettering.
Griffin said the building served as a center of community activity and joy — a place where children could have fun, learn and imagine what was possible.
It opened in 1951, the McCrorey YMCA was the only YMCA available to African Americans in Charlotte during segregation.
The Brooklyn neighborhood was largely bulldozed during a government-backed urban renewal project in the 1960s. Only four buildings remain from the historic neighborhood, including the YMCA.
The building at 334 S. Caldwell St. has stood vacant for years through various ownership changes. It last sold in 2017 and was designated a local historic landmark in 2021.
Now it is back on the market as part of a package deal that includes another property on the lot.
Foundry Commercial is marketing the sale as a major uptown development opportunity, with plans cleared for mixed-use projects that could include residential, retail and hospitality.
Griffin said he hopes the YMCA can be saved and repurposed rather than torn down. He said losing the building would be painful for him and for future generations who may never learn their history or see tangible symbols of what African Americans built in Charlotte.
Griffin said he would like to renovate the site into a community space and a place for students to learn about the city’s history and the legacy of Brooklyn.
He said earlier efforts to save the property were overlooked, but he remains hopeful it is not too late.
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