Work could start in the New
Year on a planned teacher village in McDowell
County
“This is a huge milestone,”
says Gayle Manchin, state Board of Education president and Reconnecting
McDowell board chair.
The former Best Furniture and Katzen
buildings sit on the Welch property. In the coming weeks, a full review
will be conducted to determine whether to renovate the existing buildings or
build an entirely new building.
Plans called for 30 apartment-style
units to be built there which would house teachers and include a number of
amenities like a coffee shop that would be open to the public.
If financing is secured in the
months ahead, a groundbreaking ceremony could be held in the spring.
“Reconnecting McDowell made new
housing a key piece of its plan to revitalize the county,” said Randi
Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, in a
statement. “A teacher village will attract and retain teachers, provide
good jobs and encourage more economic development.”
Reconnecting McDowell first
launched in 2011. The goal of the effort is to improve McDowell County
Those working with Reconnecting
McDowell celebrated a year of victories during Tuesday’s meeting in Charleston
She said years one and two of the
program focused on setting up the basics.
“We’ve had great work in our
elementary with our literacy programs. Our high schools are beginning the build
into our health and physical activity components. We’re also building career
and college pathways,” explained Manchin.
She said the rest of the country is
starting to take notice. “McDowell
County is not just in West Virginia
