South Carolina State University is entering “a new era” as it begins improvements at its student center, Chief Financial Officer Gerald Smalls said Thursday.
“Today, we kick off a long-awaited project to bring this old, but special building into the 21st century, providing amenities that will enhance student life here at South Carolina State and attract more students in this highly competitive environment,” Smalls said.
Smalls spoke at an event held outside the Kirkland W. Green Student Center on the university’s Student Plaza.
The project will consist of $4.4 million in renovations to the building, followed by a $20 million expansion to the facility, according to a university release.
The remodeling project will include infrastructure upgrades to lighting, HVAC, windows, doors, life safety and all finishes, according to the release.
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The exterior of the center will receive a new facade on the plaza side and a video board on the Geathers Street side.
Following the renovations, the student center will receive a 30,000-square-foot expansion, bringing the center’s total square footage to 62,000.
The student center was originally completed in 1954.
University President Alexander Conyers said the renovations will bring amenities back to campus, like the student center’s bowling alley, that haven’t been available in several years. Many students were unaware the amenities were once offered on campus.
The renovations will bring back the campus barbershop and add a women’s hair salon, Conyers said. These can provide services to students at a lower cost and keep them on campus, he said.
The bowling alley, added to the center after the Orangeburg Massacre, and barbershop have been out of service for several years, university spokesperson Sam Watson said.
The project will be in the hands of Columbia-based Carbra Construction and Design.
Carbra hopes to begin construction on Jan. 1. It has a one-year deadline to complete the project.
The renovated center will hold 500 students and will include collaborative meeting spaces for students and updates to cafeteria and office areas, Carbra’s Betty Price said.
“We’re just excited to transform this building to a building similar to what you see over here,” she said, indicating the university’s engineering building built in 2012.
Student Affairs offices were moved out of the building over the summer to make way for the renovations, Watson said.
The university will host student events in other campus facilities such as The State Room, Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center and Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium while the student center is being renovated and expanded, he said.
Board of Trustees Chairman Douglas Gantt thanked the board and alumni for supporting the university and renovation project.
“When you go to Disney World, they always tell you to wish upon a star,” Gantt said. “Well, this is kind of a wish that we’ve all had for many, many years – to see new construction, new development, new activity at the university that we so love.”
Miss South Carolina State Karrington McClurkin said the student body is excited for the project.
“This student center has been a safe place and a sanctuary for most, a social outlet for many,” McClurkin said. “Even though we are very distraught that the student center as we knew it is changing, we are very thrilled to be a part of change and we cannot wait to see it when it’s done because it will definitely be used.”
Smalls said his own parents met outside the student center.
“As you know, there’s a lot of history here,” Smalls said. “This is the home of Benjamin E. Mays, Ernest Everett Just, Deacon Jones, Jim Clyburn – our goal is not just to focus on the past, but create more of those same names moving into the future. That’s why this is so important.”
This is the university’s first time working with Carbra, Watson said.
The renovations are the campus’s first major construction project since the new engineering building was built in 2012, Watson said.
S.C. State has made a push for more state funding for building renovations and replacements in the past few years.
“I’m very excited about this kickoff for this project because what follows after this is so many more projects, dealing with recreation, athletics, but most importantly, academics,” Conyers said.
Contact the writer: cbozard@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5553. Follow on Twitter: @bozardcaleb.
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