Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Smyth County seeks community input on future of county-owned Carnegie School
Summary
County officials said the county currently has no plans for the recently acquired Carnegie School and proposed community meetings to gather ideas for reuse, such as childcare, a community center, or historic preservation.
County administrators told the board on Jan. 8 that the county now owns the former Carnegie School building and currently has no formal plans for its reuse. The county suggested organizing community meetings in the neighborhood to solicit ideas and build local buy-in for a future project.
Board members emphasized preserving the history of the building and suggested case studies from nearby jurisdictions (Pulaski was named) where similar historic-school conversions succeeded. Supervisors discussed possible uses including child care, a community center and preserving and displaying Black history connected to the site. One supervisor asked to be included closely in planning because the building lies in their district.
Staff said the building appears structurally sound with general wear and that previous community factions had been unable to agree on a reuse plan in the past. The board asked staff to pull together a list of ideas collected from public posts and to involve citizens, local town officials and potential partners in planning discussions before deciding next steps.
The county scheduled further outreach and the administrator said staff would coordinate community meetings and interviews ahead of a January retreat to set priorities.
