LEXINGTON — The Lexington City Council unanimously voted June 8 to table a vote on a zoning permit for the renovation of the Dunbar School building into apartments for seniors and persons with disabilities until its July 13 meeting.
The City of Lexington is considering an application from Shelter Investments Development Corp. for the renovation of the former Dunbar School into 72 apartment units for seniors and persons with disabilities. The property is currently owned by the Diocese of Charlotte.
Constructed for the African American community in 1951, before integration, the Dunbar School was named for Paul Lawrence Dunbar, a prolific African American poet and writer born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1872. He was the son of former slaves and a classmate of Orville and Wilbur Wright, and there are numerous schools named in his honor.
The 10-acre property is zoned as Traditional Neighborhood Development, which allows for residential care homes, apartments and condominiums, with additional requirements.
— The (Lexington) Dispatch