PULASKI CO., Va. – Instead of tearing down old school buildings, Pulaski County is turning them into something new — and getting statewide recognition for it.
The county’s Vacancy to Vitality program repurposes former public school facilities into residences, senior living communities and businesses, preserving decades of local history in the process. The program recently received a VACO Achievement Award, a recognition from the Virginia Association of Counties.
“The VACO Achievement Award really is a confirmation that we’re doing a best practice in the Commonwealth,” Pulaski County Administrator Jonathan Sweet said. “We feel that we’re doing it better than any locality in the Commonwealth.”
Schools given new life across the county
Across Pulaski County, several former school buildings have already been converted. The former Pulaski High School became the Pulaski Lofts, a residential community. Claremont Elementary was transformed into a senior living facility. Draper Elementary is now home to the Conery, an award-winning business.
The former Dublin High School is next. It will become the 11th public school repurposed through the program and is expected to transition into a residential space. Plans call for preserving original features, including the auditorium and gymnasium.
Sweet said the Board of Supervisors made repurposing these buildings a top priority.
“These former discontinued public school facilities host nostalgia and community pride — in a lot of cases, a lot of history, both community and personal history,” he said.
Memories preserved alongside the buildings
For many residents, the transformed buildings carry deeply personal meaning. Pulaski County Community Development Director John Crockett said visits to the repurposed schools often bring out powerful memories from community members.
“One gentleman was able to point to a specific spot in the classroom and tell us, ‘This is where he learned about the Kennedy assassination,’” Crockett said. “Others said, ‘This is where I was sitting when the first man walked on the moon.’ There are so many great stories.”
Crockett said seeing residents use and enjoy the spaces again makes the work worthwhile.
“It’s a really great thing to come in and see the folks enjoying these facilities again and see them put back to use,” he said.
A program built on partnerships
Sweet said the success of Vacancy to Vitality goes beyond county government. Community partners and business partners have been essential in moving projects forward.
“We’re not doing it alone,” Sweet said. “We have great community partners and business partners that also share the vision and see the value in these old facilities.”
He said the alternative — demolition — made the case for repurposing even clearer.
“Nothing feels better than to contemplate how much you might have to spend to tear something down — and then instead, to see what value you’ve turned the project into and to see empty parking lots now full,” Sweet said.