Tri-County Technical College Closes on
Purchase of
Property that Will Become Home to its First Branch Campus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/14/2005
CONTACT: DR. RONNIE BOOTH, 646-1773
(By Lisa Garrett)
PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College has closed on the purchase
of a 38.95-acre piece of property near the intersection of Standridge
Road and Michelin Boulevard that will become the home of its first branch
campus.
The purchase from Charles Howard, a Greenville attorney, and Louis
Manios, a Greenville accountant, was closed September 8. College officials
now will begin the process of selecting firms for the design and construction
of the first building, a 44,000-square-foot-complex. Details will be
finalized in November, said Wayne Fogle, Tri-County's vice president
for Business Affairs. The College will use the design/build process
for design and construction of the facility, enabling the College to
move in at an earlier date, said Fogle. The estimated date of completion
for the Anderson campus is January 2007.
"This past year we've spent a great deal of time and energy planning
for the future of the College, particularly in relation to facilities,"
said Dr. Ronnie L. Booth, president of Tri-County. "We aren’t just
looking ahead to the immediate future. The planning we do now supports
our vision for the future of the College over the next several decades.
Our data shows us that we are underserving key areas of this three-county
region. Tri-County is a long distance to drive for many of our citizens,
and the time has come to open an Anderson campus," he said.
"Our strategy is to decentralize teaching and services to meet
the five-year goal of an increase in enrollment to more than 7,200 students,"
he added.
The process for exploring alternatives for expansion began more than
a year ago. Dr. Booth was authorized by the College Commission in February
to pursue negotiations to acquire this particular piece of property.
Once the approval process began, the College Foundation Finance Committee
voted to establish a limited liability corporation (LLC) to purchase,
develop and lease property to the College. After Foundation Board approval,
the LLC applied for bonds issued under the S.C. Jobs Economic Development
Authority (JEDA). The proposal was approved by the State Board for Technical
and Comprehensive Education and the S.C. Budget and Control Board, after
which the Anderson County Council gave final approval for issuance of
$8 million in financing for the land and construction.
The Anderson campus will house general classroom space for both credit
and non-credit programs, in addition to computer and science labs.
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