Cumberland County commissioners have approved accepting three former school properties for $3 total and forming a planning team to recommend what happens to them next.
The board unanimously approved accepting Lillian Black Elementary, Manchester Elementary, and the former Alger B. Wilkins High School campus at its October 15 meeting.
The action advances a proposal first discussed in September by commissioners Chair Kirk deViere, who called for a coordinated review of school buildings and land becoming available through the district’s consolidation efforts.
Lillian Black has remained vacant since its students were reassigned to nearby W.T. Brown Elementary in 2022. The county declined to buy the campus for its roughly $750,000 appraised value in October 2024. This year, the school board voted 5-3 on June 9 to offer the property to the county for $1.
Later that month, the board voted 5-3 to offer Manchester and Alger B. Wilkins to the county for $1 each. The transfers sparked debate about giving up control of district assets and whether the school system should seek more money for unused properties.
The board approved Manchester’s closure in May, with students reassigned primarily to W.T. Brown and Ponderosa elementary schools. Alger B. Wilkins students moved from the Skibo Road campus to the Douglas Byrd Middle North building for the 2026-27 school year.
County Manager Clarence Grier updated commissioners on the property transfers on October 15.
“Monday we had a walk through of those three properties,” Grier said. “The Internal Services department saw a few things but nothing concerning the properties.”
“Nothing has been demolished or anything with these properties,” he said.
He explained that accepting the deeds would allow the county to take ownership and begin assuming responsibility for the sites.
“The utilities would be transferred in our name for us to decide what to use the properties for,” Grier said.
What Could the Properties Become?
The planning team will include Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Eric Bracy and Kevin Coleman, the district’s associate superintendent for auxiliary services, alongside representatives from county departments, the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, and municipalities as needed.
Commissioners also added Assistant County Manager Tufanna Bradley during the meeting to support public information needs. The team will meet quarterly or as the inventory of properties being transferred requires.
DeViere’s proposal calls for documenting each property’s acreage, building condition, zoning, infrastructure, transfer timeline, and restrictions before recommending future uses.
Possibilities include affordable and workforce housing, economic development, parks, libraries, and community facilities. Other options include selling properties, holding land for future use, or demolishing buildings and preparing sites for redevelopment.
“These are public assets that our residents paid for. How we use them will shape neighborhoods for the next generation,” deViere wrote in his September 2 request to commissioners.
Do the Properties Need Repairs?
Although Grier reported no major concerns about accepting the properties following the county’s walkthroughs, earlier district records identified repair needs at all three campuses. Prepared at different times, those assessments offer context for the county’s planning without establishing which repairs remain outstanding or what adapting the properties for new uses would cost.
At Manchester, a 2026 evaluation included in the district’s closure study describes a campus where students traveled outdoors between classrooms and shared spaces served multiple purposes.
Built in 1967, the school consists of four building pods. Fourteen of its 24 classrooms were accessible only from exterior sidewalks, architect Thomas Goetz reported. Doors used to reenter the main corridors were left unlocked during the school day to make movement between areas easier.
A single multipurpose room served as the cafeteria, assembly area, and indoor recreation space. The cafeteria opened into the food preparation area, while freezer space was located outside the kitchen along a classroom corridor.
Goetz reported that the media center, administrative areas, and many classrooms were undersized under state school planning guidelines. Restrooms did not meet accessibility standards in the state building code, and the updated outdoor play area sat outside the campus’s security fencing.
The evaluation also identified aging mechanical systems that did not comply with energy codes, outdated electrical and fire alarm systems, and a roof needing replacement. Classrooms used window air conditioners, and the windows were single-pane without thermal insulation.
Separately, the district’s deferred maintenance summary lists approximately $2.19 million in renovation needs at Manchester. Those projects include $682,666 for roofing, $206,266 for fire alarm systems, $309,115 for branch wiring, and $70,965 for a walk-in refrigerator. Heating systems and heating and cooling units account for another approximately $869,534.
At Lillian Black, a repair estimate presented to the school board in June 2023 totaled $1.27 million. The largest item was $600,000 for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and window replacements. Other work included $162,000 for repairing mortar joints in exterior walls, $146,500 for interior finish painting, and $50,000 for roof repairs and dormer removal.
For Alger B. Wilkins, the district’s deferred maintenance summary lists approximately $4.16 million in renovation needs. Projects include approximately $244,749 for fire alarm systems, $410,382 for branch wiring, $135,553 for pedestrian paving, and $100,375 for fencing and guardrails.
The county’s proposal for what to do with the properties calls for public engagement sessions where residents can review draft concepts and provide feedback before commissioners make decisions about individual sites. Sessions could be organized by geographic area so residents can weigh in on properties in their own communities.
It also requests an initial status report in November.
