Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 20, 1990 TAG: 9006200483
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: By CHARLES STEBBINS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE LENGTH: Short
The Community Development Block Grant from the state was announced Tuesday night at a meeting of the county Board of Supervisors.
Jeffrey Johnson, county administrator, said he expected the county would be able to advertise for bids in August and possibly award a contract in October.
The project would convert a part of the old high school building into 16 apartments. Also included would be a kitchen and dining area for residents who did not want to do their own cooking. Additionally, there would be a lounge, library, laundry and an arts and crafts room.
Part of the building, including the gym, would be kept for future development.
Johnson said the apartments would be rented only to older people with incomes of no more than about $16,400 annually. The rent would be based on income, he said, but would not exceed 30 percent of a resident's annual gross income.
The old high school building has been something of a worry to the supervisors since 1988 when the new Craig County High School opened.
The board has been searching for a way to use the building and after a survey of residents, it seemed it could best be used as apartments.
But the county was denied this same grant last year when it applied for $1.2 million to create apartments in both the old high school and the closed Maywood Elementary School on Virginia 42 in the Sinking Creek area.
The Maywood School building is still vacant.
by CNB