CLEVELAND — Two representatives from The Cannon Foundation visited Cleveland on Monday, joining various town officials and figures to discuss a grant application being submitted to revitalize the R.A. Clement School into a destination for programming, community gatherings and other activities. 

Cannon Foundation Executive Director Suzanne Philemon and Program Officer Candice Kane joined the slew of Cleveland locals from the West Rowan Neighborhood Center Advisory Council and R.A. Clement Alumni Association at the former Rosenwald school. In true Cleveland fashion, they were greeted with a smile and some refreshments. 

The former all-Black school currently operates as a community center but needed infrastructure repairs and a general lack of awareness prevent it from fulfilling the town’s vision of what it could be. 

“This is very much part of our community, but I will say from being on the board all the years, a neglected part of our community,” Mayor Pat Phifer said of the old school building. 

Joining Phifer and The Cannon Foundation officials were Commissioner Jeanette Rankin, Finance Officer Rebekah Newsome, consultant Christine Brown-Aumen, contractor Charles Barber and various council and alumni association members including, Leonard Hall, Darryl Hall, Vera Avery, Lonnie Gaither and Ernestine Avery Cornelius. 

Avery, who attended R.A. Clement School as a child, offered a memory of what the space meant to the community back then.

“We were here all the time,” Avery said. “And then as the building became a little bit, you know, had more needs to it, and it became in disrepair. We got away from that. And so now we just want to bring it back into what it was. I mean, that’s the theme of this building, is reopening the door to our legacy, but we want to expand that to the entire community.”

Visions for the space, which is located on Krider Street near Cleveland’s park and centralized downtown, featured plans for health screenings, workforce training and development and senior activities in addition to its service as a community center.

With the Cleveland-based organizations preparing to submit a grant application to The Cannon Foundation, Philemon and Kane wanted to meet with them to unpack the town’s needs. 

 “You talked about connectivity, walkability, yes, I know that when we talk with some other organizations, Cleveland has identified some other indicators that there’s some needs,” Kane said. “And I think it would be really great to talk about health care, food insecurities are monthly food banks.”

While the project features many components, Leonard Hall said the first thing they want to do is finish the window restoration and insulation. The building is in need of a new HVAC system as well, but the council members don’t want to upgrade that system until the building is better climate controlled. 

“Some of the windows are in pretty good shape, but some of them, the joints are coming loose, and it’s just, you’re trying to keep the air in, and the air’s coming from outside,” he said. 

Kane explained that tacking down those costs is an important element of the grant application. 

“I think what would be helpful is to know what it is going to take for the finishing of the windows,” Kane said. “What do you need for all the insulation and then one unit for the HVAC? Knowing what that looks like, I think we can then take that to our boards, because there’s an opportunity where we can have more than one fund take a look at grant assistance.”

The Cannon Foundation pulls funding from multiple trusts. Kane indicated on Monday that based on the nature of this project, they would most likely pull from the Mariam and Robert Hayes Charitable Trust. 

“This request is primarily being looked at by our Hayes trust,” Kane said. “We do have the foundation that covers the entire state, so that’s why I really wanted Suzanne (Philemon) here today to hear more about Cleveland and the needs of this community.

“There’s an opportunity where more than one fund could consider this request to help you push this along. So knowing your true snapshot of needs for this part of the facility space, is really helpful for us.” 

Kane also mentioned that one style of transformation they are seeing being successful is creating a multi-purpose space. 

“I think it’s really reassuring to hear y’all say collectively that you’re identifying spaces, if we’re talking specifically about this facility, identifying spaces that can be used for multi purpose,” she said. “We’re seeing that churches are now being repurposed in ways we’ve talked about, too, right? How can you bring nonprofits to this area to serve you?

“It’s really helpful whenever we can find an organization that is really trying to serve the human need. You all have a very unique story in Cleveland. That’s connectivity, it’s walkability, it’s being outside in a safe space. You can let your kids out and run. But it’s also to serve those health needs of the community as well, because you do have a vast generation range.”

Cleveland’s local and official representatives just want to recreate a space, steeped in history, to serve as a destination for whatever community outreach or engagement activities might make use of the town’s unique location. It is within shooting distance of several high population areas, but as a geographic location western Rowan County also has a large population. As the unofficial center of that region of the county, Cleveland makes sense to those attending the meeting on Monday as the logical location to create that shared community space at the R.A. Clement School.