Summer of construction and design on tap for SC State University

 ORANGEBURG, S.C. – With dozens of projects either underway or in design phases, the summer of 2024 promises to be a busy season for South Carolina State University’s facilities team.

The university has major and minor projects in various stages of development for the main campus, including academic, residential, activity and residential spaces. The university’s Public Service & Agriculture division also has several projects in the works at off-campus locations.

“This is a game-changing period in South Carolina State University’s history,” SC State President Alexander Conyers said. “If we are to meet the needs of 21st century students, we must have facilities that are conducive to a first-rate experience educationally and socially.

“Both the state and federal governments have demonstrated strong commitments to modernizing the main SC State campus and our satellite centers so that quality teaching, research and public service can shine,” he said. “Student interest in what SC State has to offer is at a whole new level, and we are rising to meet that demand.”

While some projects remain in the design phase, others are physically underway or soon will be.

Student residential space

As SC State has experienced unprecedented growth in admissions applications over the last three years, enrollment has been limited by the availability of student housing both on and off campus. Projects underway to alleviate the housing crunch include:

• Truth Hall renovation. The $15 million renovation of Sojourner Truth Hall will get underway this summer. The state is reviewing qualifications for contract manager at risk (CM-R) before issuing a request for proposals from potential CM-R contractors. The project includes a fire suppression system, which will allow the university to reopen the 14-story tower’s upper floors for much-needed student residential space. Administrators expect the project to be finished in time to house 384 students for the Fall 2025 Semester.
• Queens Village renovation. SC State will soon award a contract for remodeling the seven buildings that comprise the Queens Village student housing complex, which has been offline for several years. Each remodeled unit will have four two-bedroom suites.

Academic, student activity and administrative office space.

• Student Center renovation. The $4.2 million renovation of the Kirkland W. Green Student Center is in the interior demolition phase. Crews completed asbestos abatement in the facility this spring. The state-funded project includes upgrades to lighting, HVAC, windows, doors, life safety, and all finishes, as well as a new facade on the plaza side of the center and a video board on the Geathers Street side. Completion is expected in January 2025.
• Student Center expansion. In a separate project that will follow the renovation, the state has allotted SC State an additional $20 million for a 30,000-square-foot upgrade to the Student Center, giving the university 62,000 square feet of modern space for student life activities. This project is in the design phase.
• New 94,000-square-foot academic building. The state-funded project is in the design phase with Evoke Studios, an architectural firm that also designed the SC State Engineering and Computer Science Complex. Soon, the state will contract with a CM-R, who will assist with the design scope and oversee construction at a guaranteed maximum price. SC State officially broke ground on the $54.7 million project in April. The facility will replace the outmoded Turner Hall complex.
• James E. Clyburn Transportation Center. About $13 million in federal funding, along with a $2.6 million match from the state, is available to build out the James E. Clyburn Archives and Research Center on the Russell Street side of campus. SC State is working with the federal government and Perkins & Will architecture firm to finish the design phase. Administrators hope to complete that design in early 2025 and advertise for construction in the summer of 2025. The Clyburn Transportation Center’s mission is to assist federal, state and local agencies in meeting their goals to develop a highly skilled workforce to meet future needs in transportation.
• Wilkinson Hall renovation. Constructed in 1938, 16,000-square-foot Wilkinson Hall has been in various stages of renovation since 2018 thanks to a series of federal grants from the National Park Service. SC State is assessing how much funding will be required to complete the renovation and is exploring more grant opportunities. Once complete, the building will provide academic and administrative office space.

Public Service & Agriculture Division (PSA).

• The Midlands Agriculture Research & Education Center will be housed on site at the SC State University Public Service & Agriculture Research & Demonstration Farm in Olar, South Carolina. The center will have approximately 14,000 square feet of research laboratories, office space for farm and support staff, one large multi-purpose room and collaborative workspace. The $5M project is funded through the federal 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program. The building will serve as home to the new Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Agriculture led by the senior research scientist and director, Dr. Joe Mari Maja. The pioneering hub will be dedicated to harnessing the power of data science and artificial intelligence to tackle the pressing challenges confronting small, limited-resource and minority farmers. To that end, the research & education center will contain residence suites for guest researchers and scientists to accommodate the often-long hours required in research. Finally, the center will feature space for a community garden and greenhouses.
• Regional Research & Extension centers. The SC State 1890 Research & Extension centers in Cayce, Florence and Rock Hill are undergoing upgrades. Supported by a $6.75 million federal allocation, the Cayce center will become a research and outreach hub in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• Camp Harry E. Daniels. SC State PSA’s historic Camp Daniels is in the second phase of its redevelopment as an immersive nature center for youth and adult learners. SC State is completing roads, trails and infrastructure necessary to support nine new buildings planned for the camp. These will include visitor cabins to complement the 260-acre camp’s 150,00 square-foot leadership center and on-site pond for aquatic activities.

Also on the main campus.

Smaller upgrades also are in development at several other locations on the main campus:

• Laboratory renovation in Hodge Hall.
• Seating repairs in the Fine Arts Building’s Barbara A. Vaughan Recital Hall.
• Replacement of the Davis Hall chiller.
• Fixing up Moss Hall Annex for a telehealth center.
• Expansion of the cover at the Student Center Plaza Pavilion.
• ·Minor repairs in Hugine Suites and other campus facilities.
• Remodeling Nix and Rowe Halls, former residential buildings, for new uses.