S.C. State breaks ground on 1890 Research and Extension Community Center

South Carolina State University broke ground Wednesday, June 27, on a new, $2.7 million building designed to help it take services into the Orangeburg area and surrounding communities.

The 1890 Research and Extension Community Center will be used for community outreach and special programs to reach youth and lifelong learning non-credit and informal community classes.

“Not only will it be a functional building but symbolic of our continued outreach to the community,” S.C. State President James Clark said.

Located at the north edge of campus, the two-story, 14,000-square-foot facility will house classrooms and conference room spaces in support of the 1890 Research and Extension programs. Each flexible classroom space will be equipped with the latest technology, such as smart boards and projectors, to accommodate a variety of activities and teaching styles. The second floor of the facility includes administrative offices in support of the program, along with an open exterior corridor that will function as a gathering space for students and staff.

The new building will be paid for with grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture 1890 Facility Grant Program.

“The Department of Agriculture focuses a lot on food and nutrition and health and wellness, especially of members of the community, as well as understanding what the needs and requirements are of farmers,” Clark said. “And we’re in a rural area, so it’s very, very critical as part of our extension, as part of our outreach and part of who we are as a university,” he said.

The new building is scheduled to open in April 2019.