Tomeka Sinclair | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — Lumbee Tribe officials, including Chairman John Lowery and Tribal Council Representatives Jo Doss and Larry Soles, gathered this week with Laurinburg leaders alongside McColl Road to celebrate and unveil the tribe’s latest major future land development project.
Despite heavy rains, the Lumbee Tribe of N.C.’s Reggie Brewer conducted a ceremonial land blessing for the tribe’s land acquisition of upwards of 32 acres on McColl Road near Turnpike Road in Laurinburg, which represents tribal District 12 (Doss) and District 19 (Soles). The bulk of the land has been designated for residential use with an emphasis on homeownership as well as the site for a new Boys and Girls Club location, according to Chairman Lowery.
“We purchased this land. Now we just have to move forward with budgeting for this Boys and Girls Club,” Lowery said.
The Lumbee Tribe of NC operates seven Boys and Girls Clubs with six locations throughout Robeson County — three and one in Scotland, at 10306 Stewartsville Cemetery Church Road. A spokesperson for the tribe said the goal is to construct a new club that would replace the smaller one.
”When I became chairman, I realized that Scotland County Boys and Girls Club is a shell of what our other clubs are,” Lowery said.
Lowery said he appreciated Doss and Soles and their eagerness to ensure that Scotland County has a “full-fledged Boys and Girls Club.”
“I’m glad they had that vision. I’m glad that we can work together. I’m glad that we could find this land … This is going to be a great site,” Lowery said.
Currently, the tribe’s construction team is in phase 1 of the project, which is conducting an environmental assessment.
“What we’re doing now — the purchasing plan, the future progress — will come long after I’m gone as far as being chairman but I know that five, 10, 15, 20 years from now we’ll still be building on this site and thats what the plus is here for us, that we have land here we can grow on,” Lowery said.