NEWS

Mayor Knox cut the ribbon officially marking the opening of the Historic Gym. (News of Davidson photo)

You can watch the full video from the ribbon cutting here. Our album of still photos can be viewed here.

Saturday morning, June 20, while so many people went about their normal routines in Davidson, a large crowd gathered at the Historic Gymnasium behind the Town Hall and Community Center at 251 South Street.

At 10:00 a.m., Mayor Knox kicked off the ceremony by extending words of welcome and telling everyone on hand how excited he was to re-dedicate the historic gym. He introduced the speakers: Mecklenburg County Commissioner At-Large Leigh Altman; Stewart Gray, Davidson resident and Director of the Mecklenburg County Historic Landmarks Department; and Leslie Willis, Director of Davidson Parks and Recreation Department.

The Mayor also recognized the elected Town Commissioners in attendance and various members of town staff, highlighting Doug Wright who served as the project manager; representatives of Creech and Associates, the architecture team; and Balfour-Beaty, the contractors.

County Commissioner Leigh Altman (center), with Stewart Gray (left) and Mayor Rusty Knox (right). (News of Davidson photo)

Before handing off the microphone, Rusty Knox took a few minutes to remind people of the personal importance of the building. “My dad, former Mayor Russell Knox, graduated from Davidson High School, right here 76 years ago. He also played basketball in this gymnasium. I also attended school here, played basketball, and attended dances in the gym.”

He turned things over to Commissioner Leigh Altman. She began with her own words of thanks, words that included appreciation of the residents of the Town of Davidson “whom we all serve.” She talked about Mayor Knox’s impact beyond the Town, especially through the work he does on various regional commissions.

Altman talked about how her drive up from Charlotte was another reminder of the idyllic nature of Davidson, reflected in the scenes on Main Street on a Saturday morning. She then highlighted that the County Commission was pleased to be able to offer the $2 million in assistance to help fund the renovation work. “This project is a part of the county’s ongoing commitment in promoting healthy and thriving communities, while improving our environment, culture, and recreation in collaboration with the towns in Mecklenburg County. As a county, we hope to do more in our preservation efforts. Our fiscal year 2027 budget has designated close to $800,000 to support our Historic Landmarks Department.”

That last line drew an audible positive response from Stewart Gray and a number of people in the audience. Altman continued, “Davidson is a historic town that continues to celebrate its history through ongoing efforts to promote adaptive reuse of historic structures and assets. It’s more than a ribbon cutting today. It’s about the preservation of another historic landmark in Mecklenburg County and the health and wellness of our entire community.”

Stewart Gray, Director of Mecklenburg County Historic Landmarks Department. (News of Davidson photo)

Stewart Gray was the next speaker, and he began by saying, “I’m just so thrilled to see what Davidson is accomplishing. We are talking about the gym, but the building right behind you (251 South Street) is one of the most fundamental historic preservation success stories in Davidson, and in the state.” He added, “The reason Davidson is so successful is because of this intentional planning, including historic preservation.”

Before he added additional historical details, Gray asked several questions of the audience. “Who all has been in this building before? Raise your hand. Who all went to school here? Raise your hand. Now this is going to be a smaller group. Who all has slept in this building?” And it was worth noting that Mayor Knox still had his hand raised. Knox just said, “Scouts.”

Gray then started looking at his notes, joking that he was sure that he could keep the rest of his remarks to roughly 40 minutes. And while his remarks were longer than others, Stewart provided numerous incredibly important historic details about the structure. Please consider watching our video to listen to all the remarks in their entirety.

The final speaker was Leslie Willis. She began by acknowledging the hard work of Gina Carmon, who was the Parks and Recreation department staff liaison to the renovation project.  She subsequently introduced a new staff member, Destiny Garrett, who is the programming manager. Willis also noted that another new staff member who will come onboard in July will specifically be working in the gym. She also took time to highlight the fact that the gym is the Town’s first indoor active recreation space. “I’ve been here for 15 years. I’m thankful for the partnerships we have made with Davidson Elementary, Community School of Davidson, Davidson Day, and Ada Jenkins, to use their indoor facilities that we did not have. Now we are adding our own, which will be great.”

Leslie Willis, Director Davidson Parks and Recreation Department. (News of Davidson photo)

Willis ended her remarks with an invitation for everyone to come back to the gym on July 25 for “Party with Parks and Rec.” There will be important scheduling and programming announcements. In between now and then, there will be “open hours and open play.”

With the remarks completed, elected officials and town staff moved down the steps where a big red ribbon and the giant pair of red and gold scissors were waiting. Mayor Knox asked, “Are we ready?” A younger member of the audience shouted out an enthusiastic “Yes.” As the ribbon was pulled taut, Knox said, “Thanks to everybody who contributed; enjoy this new space.” And with that, the giant scissors did their job and the pieces of ribbon dropped to either side.

Kids of all ages poured into the building. While some immediately went for the rack of basketballs and volleyballs, others climbed the stairs to the balconies on either end of the court. Some stood and watched all the activity on the court; others sat and just seemed to take in the significance of the day.

And yes, kids of all ages played. They shot free throws, took layups, and launched shots from behind the 3-point arc. After about 20 minutes of free play, Destiny Garrett announced a more organized competition. While the adults started to leave, she encouraged them to stay. What followed seemed to be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Meanwhile, as most played basketball, still others opted to set and hit volleyballs along the sidelines.

Tim Stroud was one of the older kids on the court who played on the court as a younger kid, too. (News of Davidson photo)

The majority of activity wrapped up by 11:30 a.m., but the building remained open until noon. People continued to wander in and take a look at all that had been accomplished. Some arrived after noon, but still took time to take photos of the exterior of the building, including the big painted red rock that includes the town logo and the words “Established 1937, Restored 2026.”

The newly renovated gym is now ADA accessible for the first time in the building’s nearly 90-year history. Though there are still a set of steps leading down to the entrance on the left side of the building, the door on the right side is directly accessible without any steps. Inside the building, a new ADA accessible restroom is located on the main floor level. Two additional restrooms are located at either end, down a small set of stairs.

It is noteworthy that the renovation also included adding air conditioning and an updated heating system for the building, allowing it to be used year-round.

Editor’s Note: News of Davidson set up a camera and asked people to give us their thoughts about the gym. You can watch their comments here.