By Laura Patterson
Dunn Daily Record
PLAIN VIEW – An event this week in the Plain View community will celebrate the completion of the first phase of turning an old school location into a public park.
The Plain View Community Center will host a celebration and ribbon-cutting Thursday to mark the end of Phase 1 of the community park project and the completion of its five-year strategic plan.
From 6 to 8 p.m., the public is invited to come out for hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream. There will be inflatables for the kids and the facilities will be open for use during the event. Information also will be available to give residents an idea of future plans.
“The PVCC Board’s vision for a self-sustained park for our residents has really started to take shape in the last three years,” said board Chairman David Core. “We feel this plan equips our board to move forward with Phase 2 of our plan with clear, goal-oriented direction.”
Treasurer Jim Schmidlin added, “We have felt strongly we need a plan for long-term financial sustainability. Without a tax base for funding, we needed clear objectives in how we can achieve funding for programming and operations over the next five to 10 years.”
Plain View School was built in 1927, and included classrooms, a media center and auditorium. A cafeteria was added in 1953 and the gym was completed in 1986. The school was abandoned in 2001 when a new school was built. Sampson County commissioners deeded the old school, gym and property to the Plain View community.
A 501(c)(3) charitable organization called the Plain View Community Coalition was formed to manage the property and attempt to repurpose the gym, school and land for community use.
The first phase of the park project included razing the old Plain View Elementary School, with the exception of the gymnasium, leveling the area, restoring the cupola of the original building, and adding a memorial with benches and plaques recognizing donors. Air conditioning the gym and fencing for the property is currently underway.
In May, the Plain View Community Coalition Board released an adopted plan compiled after a strategic planning process led by consultants from Funding for Good. This new strategic plan aims to: Expand multi-use facilities for recreation and wellness;
construct a covered outdoor pavilion; install a new playground; and renovate the existing gym.
“The PVCC aims to succeed in providing robust multi-generational programs for recreation and wellness with improved community engagement,” the board reported in a press release.
The new plan also includes goals to diversify financial support for better long-term sustainability along with implementation of quality park operations. The coalition hopes to obtain these goals in the next two to five years.
The Plain View Community Center board invites community members to “engage socially, sign-up for volunteer opportunities, and complete surveys and feedback forms to help in the planning process to build a stronger and more trusting relationship with the PVCC.”
The Plain View Community Center is located at 5561 Plain View Highway, U.S. Highway 421, around 7 miles outside of Dunn. Visit www.plainviewcc.org/ for more information.
