Rio Grande opens McArthur Center with clinic, classrooms and workforce training

Vinton County residents now have a 22,000-square-foot Rio Grande center in McArthur that combines nine classrooms, a computer and science lab, a manufacturing space and a Holzer Health System clinic under one roof near the county’s only public high school. The university opened the facility June 26 with an open house and ribbon cutting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., putting higher education, job training and basic health access in the same place.

The new center also includes space for Ohio Means Jobs and community partners, giving local students and workers a place to pursue classes and services without driving out of the county. Rio Grande said the building is designed to expand access to higher education across Vinton County and the surrounding Appalachian region, where travel for training and care can be a barrier for families balancing work, school and transportation.

For some students, the path into the McArthur Center will be even more affordable. The university said donor support will cover tuition, books and fees for some enrollees, with help pledged by James Mitchell, a Vinton County native and 1959 McArthur High School graduate. That scholarship support matters in a county where access often determines whether students can stay local for college or have to leave for the next step.

The building replaces Rio’s older McArthur Center, which operated in the former Vinton County High School. Rio said that site was well beyond its useful life and required thousands of dollars in emergency repairs each year. The new facility was first announced in early 2024 and opened to students in spring 2026, bringing classrooms, event space and office space for community partners into a more modern building.

State investment helped finance the project. The center drew part of a $12 million Appalachian Community Grant, one piece of Ohio’s larger $500 million Appalachian investment package directed by House Bill 377, which Mike DeWine signed in 2022. DeWine attended the opening with other local and state officials, signaling the level of public attention behind the project.

University President Ryan Smith called the center a significant milestone for education and economic development in southern Ohio. Holzer Health System staff were on hand during the opening to show off the new clinical space, which has been described as about 1,100 square feet, giving McArthur a new spot for routine care alongside classes and workforce training.