Bel Alton alumni celebrate center opening

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The segregated school was built in 1937 and opened its doors the following year. The school remained open until 1965 when public schools in Charles County were integrated in the wake of the civil rights movement. The county used it for a middle school for a few years, said Joan Jones, president of the Bel Alton High School Alumni Association Community Development Corp.

The rehabilitation of the aging building took 12 years, said Thelma Woodland, an alumna who graduated in 1961. The renovation was a combined effort of the community and local, state and federal governments, she said.

‘‘The building was about to be torn down and the school alumni got together and decided that we wanted to save the school,” she said.

The estimated $5.9 million project includes renovating the inside and outside of the school, Jones said. The Bel Alton High School Community Development Center will hold space for a day care center, adult education classes, information technology training, incubator space that holds six offices for people who want to start their own businesses and an office for a community network program for cancer education and research, Jones said.

The building will also contain ‘‘Miss Motley’s” cafe that is named after a beloved former teacher at the school, Woodland said.

Woodland said her business, Woodland Consulting Inc. in Cheverly, provided volunteer consultation for the project.

The thrust of the center is to help low-income residents train for and land good jobs, Woodland said.

‘‘The main goal of the center is to try to create jobs for low-income individuals and a place where they can get training that will prepare them for jobs,” she said.

‘‘It’s going to be a very helpful facility for people, especially people who live in the southern end of the county,” Jones said. ‘‘It will help them to start and expand their businesses.”

The second phase of the project will be a renovation of the school’s gymnasium and industrial arts shop, Jones said.

The center is expected to create about 60 jobs. Most of the positions will be created for low-income individuals, Jones said.

The Bel Alton High School Alumni Association Community Development Corp. received several U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants to move forward with the project, including $45,000 for a feasibility study and $990,400 for construction, Jones said.

The corporation also received a $200,000 grant from Charles County and a little more than $1.5 million in a HUD special purpose grant to help fund the project, Jones said.

Sunday’s grand opening event at the school is open to the public. The event will feature tours of the building, guest speakers and refreshments.

The Rev. Marvin Wamble, pastor of Shiloh Community United Methodist Church in Newburg, will offer a dedication prayer.

The completion of the first phase of the project is a reason to celebrate, Woodland said.

‘‘This is a big deal for us,” she said.

Everyone is invited to drop by the center for the grand opening, Jones said.

‘‘We welcome people to come in and see our new facility,” she said. ‘‘We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished and we want everyone to see it.”