Second Ward High School Under Construction in Uptown Charlotte

Construction is underway on Second Ward High School, a medical magnet high school at 700 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Uptown Charlotte. The 193,000-square-foot facility sits on 3.12 acres with capacity for 2,000 students. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is developing the project, designed by LS3P Associates. A building permit valued at $97,870,000 has been issued.

The project rebuilds the historic Second Ward High School, the first public high school for Black students in Mecklenburg County, demolished in 1969-1970 during urban renewal. The historic gymnasium remains on site as a preserved landmark. Funding comes from the $2.5 billion CMS bond package voters approved in 2023. Estimated project cost is $186 million, with a $104,783,201 Phase Two construction contract awarded to Rodgers Builders in association with Walter B. Davis Company.

The vertical design responds to Uptown space constraints. Underground and multi-level parking replace traditional sports fields, with an outdoor plaza atop the parking deck. Amenities include a 12-bed nursing lab, performance spaces, community partner laboratories, and 34 EV chargers. The school will relocate the medical magnet program from Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences.

Construction began in January 2026 and was about 5 percent complete as of August 2026. Opening is scheduled for August 2028, the 2028-29 school year.