Options for a vacant elementary school are discussed in White Rock and the surrounding community

Lynchburg, Virginia – A historical monument in Lynchburg, the former White Rock Elementary School, has been empty for the past few years. The White Rock Community Hub will be housed in this structure, and on Saturday, locals submitted designs for it.

The city declared in September that it was collaborating with Work Program Architects (WPA) to transform the century-old structure.

“After a century of use, it now has the chance to have a whole new life in serving the communities of this neighborhood,” stated Anna Bentson, the City of Lynchburg’s director of public relations and communication.

Residents, the city, and the company decided to make it a community center that would house anything the area felt would improve it.

On pitch day, they presented their ideas, which included everything from gardens to kitchens to child care centers and more.

Brea Marshall, who gave her presentation on Saturday, stated, “My idea was essentially for us to have on each floor, with the first tutoring services on the third floor and more job interview preparation and skill-based workshops that we can get from the community on the second floor.”

A group of girls from the Young Women’s Empowerment Academy stated, “A dance studio, an art studio, cooking classes, and like, a playground, a jungle gym, and a gaming room for the outside.”

Everyone agrees that this area should have something to offer everyone who lives in White Rock and the surrounding area.

Sharon Manana, WPA’s Director of Community Engagement, stated, “Everyone wants to make sure that there is something for the seniors, as well as the kids, as well as the families, and anyone who is living in the community.”

This allows the community to… these are what’s out there… falling in love with something you may not even know you love if you’ve never seen it before. “And this can literally be a hub just for that,” stated Selina Morgan, the director of the Lynchburg chapter of the Young Women’s Empowerment Academy.

The fact that many of us had the same viewpoint thrilled me. Although it also serves the larger community, we truly want this to be a community center for the White Rock region,” Marshall continued.

WPA intends to meet with the community in January to finalize some of the ideas raised during pitch day, but there is still more work to be done.