Robeson County officials host grand opening of the county’s administration center

LUMBERTON — “I know he is smiling down from heaven to see this beautiful facility and the revitalization.”

Those were the words used Wednesday at the grand opening of the Robeson County Administration Center by Lyl MacLean Clinard, referring to her father, the late Hector MacLean.

The building was formerly the headquarters of Southern National Bank. MacLean worked there as its CEO after National Bank founded by Hector’s father changed its name. After he retired, it merged with BB&T. The MacLean family later gave the building to the county, and county government paid $615,000 for the parking lot.

Clinard traveled from High Point to attend the ceremony with her two grandsons Rudduck and Neal. She could be seen interacting with a former Southern National Bank worker and bank customer who spoke highly of her father.

She described the building as magnificent and wonderful.

“He would be so proud as we are,” she said of her father. “Our family is honored to be a part of this.”

The more than 60,000 square-foot building was remodeled to serve as a central point for several county departments and free up space in the county courthouse for judicial operations to expand, according to Robeson County Manager Kellie Blue. The deadline was delayed because of weather and asbestos. County employees moved in during May 2020. However, the grand opening ceremony was delayed because of COVID-19.

At least 50 people including county employees, county commissioners, Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis, Lumberton City Council members, N.C. Representative Charles Graham and others assembled for the event which included a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday despite an overcast sky and cold weather conditions. After the ribbon was cut, participants could take tours of the building and enjoy refreshments.

“I want to say thank you to our board members both past and present. This would not be possible without the investment of your time, talent and treasures,” County Manager Blue said.

Blue recognized former Robeson County Manager Willie Best who hired her in 1997 and former Assistant County Manager Charles Britt.

Blue also held a moment of silence for the late Robeson County Attorney Patrick Pait, who died in a car crash in 2018. She described Pait as her “partner in collaboration and crime” in the project who was both “floppy-haired and charismatic.” She also took the moment to honor all former Robeson County commissioners, clerks, attorneys and managers who passed away.

“This building that you’re standing in today that we are calling the RCAC was designed in 1965 and built in 1967 to serve as the headquarters of Southern National Bank. The building stands on the lot formerly occupied by the MacLean home. The building was then remodeled when Southern National joined BB&T in 1995,” Blue said.

Blue began her career as an internal auditor at Southern National Bank.

“I told someone my career began there and I hope it ends there if this board allows me,” she said.

The building’s granite and marble on the exterior was restored to “maintain the monumental feel” of the former building. The commissioners’ meeting room on the first floor also contains a wall of wood paneling made of various species of trees to represent the diversity and collaboration within the county and it leadership.

“It’s pretty special for us to be able to bring back to life a building that has that history so thank you guys for that,” said Aaron Thomas, president and CEO of Metcon.

He said the building’s bones were good and much thought was put into its design and former remodel.

Thomas thanked Gensler architecture firm, Metcon and other subcontractors who worked together to make the remodel a reality.

“Just thank you guys for affording us the opportunity to be a small part of such a special project,” he said.

“The success of this completed building is the direct result of some pretty amazing teamwork,” said Dena Wangberg, a project architect at Gensler.

The building houses Robeson County’s veterans services, tax department, computer operations, register of deeds, human resources, county attorney, and county manager’s office along with the district office of U.S. Representative Dan Bishop.

Wangberg read the building’s purpose statement which guided the project, she said.

“The Robeson County Administration Center will be a welcoming and accessible facility. It is open and transparent to the public. It is a supportive environment for its staff and it is a steward of its community’s resources,” Wangberg said.

“And so these attributes formed the guiding purpose from the beginning of the design through all of our planning and our many conversations with department staff and culminated in its construction and completion. So we are thrilled to stand here today and see how the administration center has even transformed since the county started occupying the space in 2020,” she said.

Wangberg said the building will continue to be an anchor for downtown and the county “inviting the public to participate in civic life and serving the needs of this community far into the future.”