Wake County has cut ties with The Bryant Center, pulling the nonprofit as operator of the Second Street Place shelter after the N.C. Department of Labor opened wage and hour investigations. While the main facility heads into a multimillion-dollar overhaul, the county is keeping beds available at a temporary overnight site.
According to The News & Observer, the county sent The Bryant Center a notice on March 23 terminating its operator agreement for Second Street Place, saying officials had been “made aware of concerning operational practices.” The county did not spell out those concerns publicly when it issued the notice.
Mike Gauss, a spokesperson for The Bryant Center, told The News & Observer that the nonprofit “is in compliance with all grant and funder-required accounting practices and procedures” and emphasized that its contract with the county was reimbursement-based. The N.C. Department of Labor confirmed to the paper that its Wage and Hour Bureau “currently has open investigations related to this matter” and said it could not provide further details while those probes are ongoing.
Big Renovation, Big Price Tag, Federal Boost
Wake County bought the Second Street Place building at 5010 Second St. in 2024 and has earmarked roughly $4.25 million for renovations that will add accessible showers, secure storage lockers, upgraded security and more space for case management, according to county project documents. Wake County records show construction was set to begin in April 2026 and wrap up by November…