STANTON, Tenn. — A groundbreaking celebration was held by the Ford Motor Company and Ford Philanthropy to commemorate the new community center the company is building near the planned Blue Oval City electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus in Stanton on Oct. 18, 2024.
Ford Philanthropy facilitated 2,500 hours of listening sessions to better understand the local needs of the community to make needed services more readily available for residents, according to Ford’s website. The community center will be at the site of The Stanton School on 5 Lafayette St., built in 1948 to educate African American students before desegregation. The school will undergo a full renovation, which will include upgrades to infrastructure and broadband access. The project will be funded by Ford Philanthropy, the State of Tennessee’s Connected Community Facility Grant, and a Historic Development Grant.
“By uniting resources, services and, most importantly, people, our aim is to create meaningful opportunities for growth and connection for all residents in the area, now and for years to come.”, said Mary Culler, President of Ford Philanthropy.
The center will also provide a collaborative space for nonprofits, community members and local leaders to provide services focused on economic mobility, food security, physical mobility and entrepreneurship opportunities anchored by United Way of West Tennessee, according to officials. The community center will serve not only Stanton, but long-term residents in, Brownsville, Somerville and Covington.
“We will see the benefit of Ford’s historic investment in West Tennessee for generations to come, and today, we celebrate another milestone for the Stanton and Haywood County communities,” said Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter. “The Ford Community Center will be a vital resource to this region and is testament to the cohesiveness and strong relationships we have fostered statewide.”
