Rupert School: Community-led Revitalization in West Virginia
VCDC is pleased to welcome Rupert School to our portfolio.
October 2024 — VCDC is proud to welcome Rupert School to our portfolio, an affordable housing community in Rupert, WV that transforms an old elementary school building into 20 apartment homes, a community health clinic and additional community-centered services designed for residents of Greenbriar County. This redevelopment effort began with the vision of local residents who saw potential in the aging and abandoned Rupert School buildings after flood devastation. Today, this revitalized campus serves as a vibrant hub of connection and community, bringing new life to the heart of Rupert.
The original Rupert School Building, constructed in the 1940’s, houses the community health clinic on the first floor of the building, and the second and third floors will comprise 1- and 2-bedroom affordable apartments designed for seniors. This revitalization effort is an important piece of the larger Meadow River Valley Community Center (MRVCC), led by the Meadow River Valley Association, a dynamic, community-based coalition of neighbors who came together in the aftermath of the historic floods of 2017 to help rebuild the communities of western Greenbrier County.
The MRVCC includes the original Rupert School building with three additional buildings. One of these accommodates an affordable childcare center which offers health and nutrition services, afterschool programs, summer programs, and a garden to teach students about agriculture and fresh food intake. Additionally, the campus includes a Family Support Center equipped with a food pantry, hygiene closet, and book club, and support groups; and sports facility offering physical fitness programs. While most of these programs have already been in service for several years, the rehabilitation of the original Rupert School building is the final piece to complete this all-encompassing campus.
VCDC has partnered with developer Woodlands Development Group to invest $4,088,345 in LIHTC Equity through the VCDC Equity Fund 27 supporting the 14 affordable apartment homes at Rupert School. Rupert School has also received $758,439 in Federal Historical Rehabilitation Equity. Woodlands Development Group is an established non-profit community-based development organization serving a multi-county area in north-eastern West Virginia. Woodlands has a broad portfolio of small properties, including Firefly Commons, Golden Rule, and the Tygart Hotel, all of which have received investments and development support from VCDC.
VCDC is proud to be a partner on the Rupert School redevelopment, a project that uplifts small-community action, placing residents at the forefront of planning and designing the future of their homes.
Read more about the Meadow River Valley Association and the MRVCC here.