tbgfan Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/apr/20/money-now-hand-development-appalachian-college-opt-ar-985905/ Published: April 20, 2011 » 0 Comments | Post a Comment The money is now in hand for the development of the Appalachian College of Optometry in Buchanan County. The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development authority announced Tuesday that it had closed its $5.6 million loan to the Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority to start the school, which is to be located in the Buchanan Information Park in Grundy. It’s the third such project in Buchanan County, which already has a law school and a pharmacy school. The money is to be used to renovate and equip the building that formerly housed the pharmacy school, the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, before its move to Oakwood. The Appalachian School of Law is located in downtown Grundy, a town of about 1,000 people in a rural, mountainous county of about 24,000. “Buchanan County has developed a very unique economic development strategy,†said Jonathan Belcher, executive director of VCEDA, according to a written statement. “[it] is centered in part around the development of private graduate schools in the county as a means of creating direct and indirect jobs and other economic impacts.†Carroll Branham, chairman of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors, said the first order of business will be to hire a dean, and then begin the search for faculty while minor renovations are done on the building. “We think it will be a real economic boost to us to have another school and get it up and running,†said Branham, who explained that development of the professional schools is part of an effort to diversify an economy centered around the extraction of coal and natural gas. “We were told that it was an unlikely place for them, but so far it’s turned out to be a good economic boost for us. When you get a good start with a good thing, I guess you just keep on expanding it.†The first students at the optometry school are expected to begin classes in August of 2013. dmccown@bristolnews.com ll 276.791.0701 Life has many choices---eternity two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 would be nice if they would build something that would actually create some good paying jobs for the people that live in Grundy...or create some sort of business...these schools are a joke...they bring a few jobs, law school being the most...but not many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaveFan09 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 i cant understand why we need 3 institutions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 A question from sheer curiosity and lack of information; are these schools public or provate institutions. I ask because I wonder about the tax revenue they generate for Buchanan Co. I know the number of jobs are limited, and am curious about other economic benefits to the County. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 They don't really hurt anything though, right? Better that than nothing I would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VHSLhelper Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 both the law school and the pharmacy college are private Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlueAlum Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 (edited) would be nice if they would build something that would actually create some good paying jobs for the people that live in Grundy...or create some sort of business...these schools are a joke...they bring a few jobs, law school being the most...but not many. What about the economic benefit from students moving to the area and spending money at local businesses? I know it probably isn't a whole lot, but its better than going in the opposite direction. Not to mention that the schools educate local residents and allow them to be productive citizens. I don't think I would call them a joke. Edited April 21, 2011 by BigBlueAlum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 What about the economic benefit from students moving to the area and spending money at local businesses? I know it probably isn't a whole lot, but its better than going in the opposite direction. Not to mention that the schools educate local residents and allow them to be productive citizens. I don't think I would call them a joke. read what i said again...the impact is not much...the only people making money are the landlords who rent out places at 3x what they are worth. There are very few jobs filled from within the county workforce, most of the ones that are high paying are brought in from out of county...it's a joke...really. The number of things that has been kept out of the county by certain people over the years, not to mention the buildings that could have had local business in them for years before they tore the town down but sat empty because they would rather have a tax write off for the rent that was asked at 3x what the space was worth rather than bother with putting a business in them...and so on...i don't even feel like getting in to it all...it makes me sick to think about it. Bottom line is that Grundy and Buchanan County was one of the richest places on the east coast as far as natural resoruces in the past 100 years or so...billions of dollars came out of that place...and there is NOTHING left to show for it...blame/thank a select few greedy people for that...and now you get these schools coming in....great....sorry if I am not impressed or enthused about it all...I'm a bit jaded at this point. PS: what local business are you talking about? Dotson's Drive-In and Italian Village? Pizza Hut? So far since the "schools" have gone in, Wendy's and KFC have left. They keep building banks though, so someone must still have money. My point, which i guess i didn't make clearly? is that i wish they would spend the money they are spedning on these schools, which don't do much for anyone but greedy landlords, and spend that money on something that would bring in high paying jobs and start to grow the place back up again...when there was money in coal and there were jobs in coal...people came to Grundy....you invest in something that will bring in money and jobs and the town will grow again...schools are not going to grow anything or bring in any jobs...the two that are there have not and this new one will not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 Glad to hear that the schools are private and contribute to the tax base that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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