Two grants totaling nearly $600,000 are going to help the town of Mentone enhance the quality of life and boost tourism. Gov. Kay Ivey announced the grants on Wednesday.
Both grants are provided through the Appalachian Regional Commission. A $295,000 grant will fund upgrades to the town's water system. The other $300,000 grant will help restore Moonlake Elementary School, which the town is transitioning into Moonlake Village.
The elementary school opened in 1929 and closed in 2021. The town of Mentone acquired it from DeKalb County so it can keep the historic building and campus as a community center and draw for tourists.
"We'll probably just make sure this building can last another 100 years," said Mayor Rob Hammond. "We're going to have to do the electrical in here. We're going to redo the bathrooms, make sure they meet ADA requirements, do fire protection. Any structural issues we have in this building will be addressed. So, I think the grant is going to accomplish all of that."
Inside, there are art galleries, shops and at least two classrooms. Northeast Alabama Community College is already utilizing them for college courses. The cafeteria and the library are also open to the public.
"We kept the old school playground out front, around the very old oak tree that's been here forever," said Hammond, who's lived in Mentone for 50 years. "So, the kids can still come here and play. It was a community center when it was a school, and we still hope it'll serve that role."
An earlier $40,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation paid for the sculpture garden out front. "The town also received a grant from ALDOT to extend the sidewalk through town, and it's going to come all the way down to this campus," added Hammond.
