Description of Project
The facility opened in 1928 as West Knitting Mill and was originally 37,500 square feet in size. It was expanded numerous times over the years until reaching its present size of 117,500 square feet. In addition to West Knitting Mill, Inc., other owners of the property have included Reeves Brothers, Dawson Consumer Products, and J.E. Morgan Mills.
The Lockhart-Taylor Center of South Piedmont Community College has been a tremendous benefit to the college and to Anson County in general. The adaptive reuse project preserved a historic Wadesboro landmark and prevented the mill from becoming an eyesore. The property was acquired by the college in 1998, approximately eight years after it and three other facilities in Anson County had been shuttered by J.E. Morgan Mills, Inc. J.E. Morgan's closure left more than 1,000 employees in Anson County without jobs.
From a community perspective, the greatest benefit of the adaptive reuse project has been the Charles Nelme and Mary Alice Caudle Ingram Community Room. The room seats approximately 800 auditorium style and 425 in a banquet setting and is available for public use. Conference rooms and classrooms that accommodate as many as 60 people are also available for community use. Prior to opening the Ingram Community Room, Anson County lacked a public facility that could accommodate more than 120 people comfortably.
Prior to occupying the Lockhart-Taylor Center , South Piedmont Community College 's continuing education operation in Anson County was housed in a downtown Wadesboro facility that lacked adequate space, was not handicapped accessible, and had no dedicated parking.
The Lockhart-Taylor Center has resolved all of those issues and allows the institution to operate a comprehensive continuing education program on site. Programs available at the Lockhart-Taylor Center include Adult Basic Skills (Adult Basic Education, GED, and English for Speakers of Other Languages), Human Resources Development, Small Business Center , Industrial Training, Emergency Services (fire, emergency medical, law enforcement), Occupational Extension, and vocational classes.
The center also houses a small fitness area and will soon house the New Ventures Arts and Business Development Center , an incubator for arts, crafts, and traditional small businesses. A tentatively approved $400,000 Community Development Block Grant will enable the renovation of approximately 8,000 square feet for the incubator; another $400,000 grant from the e-NC Authority will provide operating funds.
Description of Surrounding area |
Problems and Resolutions |
The general area is primarily residential although an accountant's office, the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, and Anson County Emergency Medical Services offices are nearby. There are no immediate neighbors. The facility is located just off U.S. 74 and is readily identified from the highway by its water tower, which bears the college logo.
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No major problems
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Architects/Builders/Owner |
Cost |
Architect:
Jody Efird, Efird-Gwynn Architects, Greensboro
Builders:
Godfrey Construction, Wingate , NC , general contractor
Owner:
South Piedmont Community College
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Total renovation cost: Approximately $2 million, including $400,000 for furnishings and equipment.
Per square foot cost: $51.43. Exact breakdowns are unavailable, the approximately $200,000 was spent on roof repair and less than $20,000 was spent dealing with environmental issues. Use of inmate labor greatly reduced demolition costs.
Source of funding
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Renovation Success |
Source of Funding |
By all counts the renovation has been judged a success. The community has a new meeting place and the college has an adequate center for its continuing education programs. The Lockhart-Taylor Center is well utilized by the public; many non-profit entities hold board meetings there and the Ingram Community Room hosts, on average, events for approximately 1,000 people monthly.
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Local: None
State: Approximately $1.1 million in Higher Education bond funds
Federal: None for construction
Private: Over $700,000 was generated in a private fund-raising campaign; contributions came from local foundations, businesses and individuals
Tax credits : None
Cost estimates for new construction for this use: $4,025,000 excluding land acquisition costs (current estimates are $105 to $125 per square foot)
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Use |
Community Benefits |
The facility is used as a community and continuing education center. It should be noted that the Lockhart-Taylor Center has state-of-the-art technology in place, including its own wireless computer network, teleconference center, satellite receiving station, extensive built-in audio-visual equipment, three computer laboratories (including one mobile cart), and a lab for teaching Cisco networking classes.
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Description of Property |
Awards |
117,500 square foot, brick facility on approximately 7.7 acres just north of U.S. 74 in Wadesboro. South Piedmont has renovated approximately 35,000 square feet to date and plans an immediate renovation of an additional 8,000 square feet. The college acquired the property in 1998 and occupied the renovated facility in 2002.
Date of Construction - 1928
Local, state, national designation - Listed in National Register of Historic Places
Date of renovation - 2002
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In 2002, South Piedmont Community College received a commendation for the Lockhart-Taylor Center project from the visiting team representing the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools during the institution's reaccredidation process. In the Reaffirmation Committee Report, Dr. John Presley, chair of the visiting team, wrote: The committee commends South Piedmont Community College and the Foundation for the successful campaign, which turned a vacant textile mill into a vibrant learning center. The Lockhart-Taylor Center an impressive example of adaptive reuse of an existing facility is concrete evidence of the strong relationship between SPCC and the community it serves. In addition, the project was nominated for North Carolina Main Street 's Best Adaptive Reuse Project by Uptown Wadesboro, Inc.
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Description of Outcome |
Status: Previously an integrated textile mill that produced thermal underwear. Currently a community center and home to South Piedmont Community College 's continuing education department.
Community response: The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive. For community purposes, the Lockhart-Taylor Center has been utilized for everything from monthly meetings of the board of directors of the Wadesboro Rotary Club to programs for children sponsored by 4-H Clubs and Smart Start to meetings of the Anson County Board of Commissioners to awards banquets by the Anson County Schools.
Neighborhood stability: The Lockhart-Taylor Center has had a positive impact on neighborhood stability because it prevented a huge, abandoned facility from becoming an eyesore.
Safety: The project itself has had little impact upon public safety other than to serve as the site for numerous training courses for firefighters, emergency medical responders, and law enforcement officers.
Community reinvestment: The Lockhart-Taylor Center has served as a catalyst for community reinvestment. A public access site to high-speed, broadband Internet access is housed there. The center previously housed an e-Business Support Center which provided space and technology services to local businesses. And beginning this summer, the center will house an arts and small business incubator.
Economic growth: The Lockhart-Taylor Center is the site of numerous training programs that address economic prosperity in Anson County .
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Pictures
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