Sep 27
RichmondCC hosts ground-breaking on new college facility in downtown Rockingham
Sept. 27, 2018 - More than 100 people gathered Monday on the corner of Franklin and South Hancock streets for the ground breaking of Richmond Community College’s new facility that will be located in downtown Rockingham.
The ground-breaking ceremony officially kicked off construction of the Kenneth and Claudia Robinette Building, housing the Leon Levine School of Business and Information Technology. A collaborative effort among the College, the City of Rockingham and Richmond County, the new 44,000 square-foot building is expected to be completed and open to students by Fall Semester 2019.
Dr. Dale McInnis, president of the College, welcomed the many leaders who were involved in making this visionary project a reality.
“Thanks to that vision, drive, determination and the faith of these leaders and the groups they serve, we will soon see one landmark replaced with a new one for the generations to come,” McInnis said. “Thank you for your investment and your faith in our college. I pledge to you today that we will make that investment pay off for Rockingham, Richmond County and the whole region.”
The Robinette Building will replace what has been historically known as the R.W. Goodman Building, and many of those who spoke on Monday offered tidbits of history about downtown Rockingham. Russell Bennett, chair of the Cole Foundation, talked about the two landmark buildings — the former clothing store owned by Mike Long and furniture store owned by longtime Sheriff Raymond W. Goodman.
“Today we begin to see the end of these buildings, but we’re going to see a new beautiful educational building that will be an integral part of Richmond Community College. This building is going to bring new life to Rockingham and to downtown,” Bennett said. “For many months, the city’s governing body and college officials have studied, worked, talked and planned on how to make everything fit and work for this new building. I am pleased to say they have succeeded.”
Rep. Ken Goodman also talked about his father owning the building and the many years it provided a living for his family.
“That’s the reason this day means so much to me, to see this corner alive again and vibrant and opening doors of opportunities for young lives. On the same location where I learned about business and grew as a businessman, future entrepreneurs and future leaders will develop the skills they need to guide Richmond County in the years to come,” Goodman said. “Being able to play a part in making this a reality is one of the greatest rewards a person can have as a public servant. It affirms for me that great things can be accomplished when leaders work for the benefit of the people they serve.”
Brian Collier, executive vice president of the Foundation of the Carolinas, talked about working with the Cole Foundation and the Community Foundation of Richmond County on this transformational project. Each of these foundations contributed $4,202,500 toward the construction of the college facility.
“I’m very proud of both what the building will look like and what’s going to go on inside. But as I stand here today, I think less about what the building will look like, and more about what the amazing students who are going to come through these doors are going to accomplish in their lifetimes. I truly believe this building is going to be integral to the economic mobility and upward trajectory of kids from this community,” Collier said.
Roger Staley, who is chair of the Community Foundation, echoed Collier’s pride in the project and the cooperation among the many groups and organizations to make it happen. He said he and his board were certain this project would be good for the College, the City of Rockingham and Richmond County.
Sen. Tom McInnis also thanked the many involved in this forward-thinking project, as well as his fellow members in the General Assembly who supported the special legislation that allowed Connect NC bond money to be used for the new college facility.
The senator also noted the hundreds of jobs now available in both Richmond and Scotland counties; however, all of these jobs require some type of specialized training and education, which students will be able to receive at the new college facility.
“This is a game changer for the citizens of North Carolina, for Richmond County, for Rockingham, for everyone who will participate here,” Sen. McInnis said. “Richmond Community College does not just serve Rockingham and Richmond County. It serves many of the surrounding communities, as well as some areas in South Carolina.”
The building will be named for Kenneth and Claudia Robinette, who chair the Richmond County Board of Commissioners and the Richmond Community College Board of Trustees, respectively. Mrs. Robinette said they were “deeply humbled” to bear this honor, matched by a feeling of pride in their community.
The longtime county commissioner said the College has been a nucleus for economic development and gives students an education for sustainable employment.
“I’d like to thank all the foundations, but especially Dr. Dale McInnis, the Trustees and the Foundation board,” Mr. Robinette said. “Because of the cooperation and collaboration with the city and the county, we’re very blessed here in Richmond County to be able to work together and to have a great relationship with our legislators, who are working very hard for us. Today we start to see the fruits of our labor.”
The Robinette building will house the Leon Levine School of Business and Information Technology, named for the founder of Family Dollar and the namesake Levine Foundation, which contributed $1 million for the project.
Levine wasn’t able to attend the ceremony, but the Foundation was represented by Tom Lawrence, its executive director, who remarked on the pride that Mr. Levine has for Rockingham.
The Levine family operated a department store called The Hub in downtown Rockingham back in the mid-1900s. It was here that a young Leon Levine began to sell discounted items in the “Bargain Basement” of the Hub. This became the model for the first Family Dollar Store, which he opened in Charlotte in 1959. Since then, Levine has built a successful business, opening thousands of stores and creating a nationally recognized brand.
“Soon there will be a new hub in Rockingham: a hub for education, a hub for opportunity, a hub for upward mobility,” Lawrence said. “The talented folks of Richmond Community College are going to help so many people in this region with educational opportunities.”
Rockingham Mayor Steve Morris talked about a tour that he and other local leaders took with Brian Collier to Hartsville, S.C., several years ago to study the success that city had in revitalizing its downtown area in connection with Coker College. Morris said that tour was the start of a dream for creating a downtown college campus in Rockingham.
“As we break ground today we’re on the road to making things better,” Morris said. “We expect this college campus to bring students and faculty to downtown Rockingham each day and night. Hopefully, they will need food, clothing, school supplies and many other items that they can purchase in downtown.”
Morris pointed out the eight new businesses that sprouted up in connection with the opening of Discovery Place Kids two blocks away and shared his belief that the new college facility would do the same.
“This college campus will make things better,” Morris said.
At the closing of the ground-breaking, city, county and college leaders ceremoniously wielded souvenir hammers against the wall of the building to officially kick off the demolition that will begin a few weeks.