Halifax County Cooperative Extension is hoping a Rural Transformation Grant will help to improve programming at the 4-H Rural Life Center.

Commissioners Monday gave the go-ahead for the extension service to apply for the grant, unanimously passing a resolution on the matter.

Beth Burchell, county extension executive director, told the board that if approved the grant would lead to a 7,200 square-feet multipurpose facility at the center located off Highway 903 outside Halifax.

Burchell said the facility would better serve the recreational needs of the community.

The Rural Life Center consists of more than 300 acres of land owned by the county.

The projected cost of the facility is $950,000 and there is no county match should the grant be awarded.

The multipurpose facility would provide all-season access to promote recreational activities, health and wellness opportunities “in this Tier 1 county where obesity is the number one health concern.”

She said the facility would provide inclement weather space, especially during the eight weeks of 4-H summer camps which serve more than 50 children each week.

The facility would be “a welcoming site for events such as weddings, family reunions, disc golf tournaments, team-building retreats … on the existing beautiful and historical grounds of the 4-H Rural Life Center.”

The property currently features a historic Rosenwald School and the former Halifax County Home and Tubercular Hospital.

The center also offers disc golf, a playground, fishing pond, outdoor multipurpose courts, equestrian facilities, walking trails and a ropes course.