dublin, virginia – Housing shortages are an issue throughout Southwest Virginia, and Virginia Tech students are working directly with Pulaski County leaders to support plans to redevelop the former Dublin Middle School.
“We are renovating a historic 1950s school in Pulaski County, Dublin, Virginia, and converting it into adaptive reuse housing,” said Virginia Tech student Cassidy Stackpole.
Each week, the students in the class develop a plan for the development of the school and regularly present their plans to the project director.
I spoke to one student and she said this hands-on experience was invaluable.
“She found real developers, architectural teams, property managers, real people we could talk to and network with. Learn,” Stackpole said.
Another student, who grew up in Southwest Virginia, said he loved working on the project.
“Virginia Tech's motto, Ut Prosim, is 'May I serve,'” Dalton Hart said. “I’m happy to be able to serve my community, especially being from Southwest Virginia, to be able to do this project and serve my community.”
Pulaski Regional Development Director said working with students has given a new perspective to projects like this.
“It's unbelievable,” John Crockett said. “So what they're producing, the renderings, the ideas are outstanding.”
He said it's great for both the county and the students to have students involved in the process, although it's still a long way from the people who live inside the old school building.
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