SALISBURY – During Monday’s Rowan County commissioners meeting, the board voted to approve a final plan for repurposing the former Cleveland Elementary School.

The design will include the new West Rowan Library, a new site for a Cleveland emergency medical services station as well as updates to windows, roofs, and lighting.

“This facility is going to help not only fulfill a need … but the meeting hall is certainly needed,” said Rowan County Vice Chairman Jim Greene. “My personal opinion is that this will be terrific to the Cleveland community. I think it’s good on everyone’s part to reuse that building.”

The elementary school was close to 100 years old and had originally served students in all grades. Various parts of the school were torn down, including the old gymnasium and two-story classroom.

The former media center and auditorium will be utilized and incorporated into the design plan, with two educational activity classrooms and more parking are to be added to the site as well. A total of 28 spaces will be added to the school.

The plan for the Cleveland EMS station, presented by architect Pete Bogle, will include a day room, ambulance garage, space for equipment storage, restrooms, a laundry, a kitchen and office space. The EMS station will utilize a former classroom building from the former school.

It will also include fresh paint and new signage.

“I think it’s good on everyone’s part to reuse that building,” Greene said.

In other business:

• Commissioners approved a request from Teramore Construction to build a 9,182-square-foot Dollar General at the corner of Woodleaf Road and NC 801 in Woodleaf.

Commissioners’ approval was required because of a condition about building in the Yadkin River watershed. Commissioners had a lengthy discussion about making improvements to the look of the store following opposition to similar stores across the county.

• Commissioners approved the consent agenda, which included more than 20 items. Some of the items included a proclamation for Rowan Creek Week, scheduling a public hearing Aug. 19 for Empire Hotel tax incentives, approving a prepayment option for a loan to pay for capital improvements in the Rowan-Salisbury School System and a proclamation honoring former Novant Health Rowan Medical Center CEO Dari Caldwell.

• Approving a request to approve a signing bonus of up to $5,000 for environmental health positions.

• The board received a presentation by Rowan County United Way regarding its new community impact model.