The Park Center

The Armory Auditorium was built in 1929 near the corner of Kings Drive and Seventh Street. It served Charlotte for years as one of the largest entertainment venues. This historic auditorium burnt down in 1954. The city of Charlotte used some of the foundational walls to rebuild a new facility called The Park Center in 1956. The Park Center housed large sporting events, mini conventions, public dances and musical shows. For several decades especially during the 1950s-60s, The Park Center was an important cultural outlet for huge black events such as NAACP Conventions and musical shows by popular music artist like Fat Domino. Capturing the spirit of the liveliness of this venue for the black community is a photograph of Ernie K-Doe performing to a packed house at The Park Center during the 1950’s.

Today this music venue still serves as an entertainment facility but under a different name. The Mecklenburg Department of Parks and Recreation in 1987 renamed The Park Center to the Grady Cole Center in honor of a very famous local WBTV disc jockey, Grady Cole.

Ernie K-Doe performs his hit song " Sttin on My Ya-ya, Waiting for My La-La" to a packed house at The Park Center.

Grady Cole Center formerly known as The Park Center. Photo shows a partial view of the Grady Cole Center with a slight view of American Legion Memorial Stadium and CPCC in the background.