SC State demolishes Student Services Building to make way for $54.7 million academic hub

• The academic building project is part of $210 million in upgrades happening on the main campus.

• The $4.4 million renovation of the Student Center is almost complete and will be followed by a $20 million expansion.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University this week razed its outdated Student Services Building to make way for a cutting-edge academic facility — a major milestone in the university’s ongoing transformation.
 
Demolition of nearby Azalea Hall is scheduled for next week, clearing more ground for the new academic complex.
 
The new academic building is one of several major facilities projects reshaping the campus. Ken Davis, associate vice president for facilities management, noted that over $210 million in construction and renovation projects are either physically underway or in design and approval stages for the main campus.

Nearby, the $4.4 million renovation of the Kirkland W. Green Student Center is nearly complete. The upgraded facility — which includes new roofing, utilities, lighting, HVAC, life safety systems and finishes — will reopen for the fall semester. The project includes renovation of the center’s bowling alley, which has been dormant for several years. Crews are completing interior finishes and installing fixtures this spring. The renovation will be followed by a major expansion.

“Our students deserve a campus that reflects the excellence of their ambitions,” SC State President Alexander Conyers said. “We are transforming SC State with modern facilities that support student success inside and outside the classroom.
 
“The renovations of Truth Hall and Queens Village, along with the construction of a new residence hall, are especially critical,” Conyers said. “They will allow us to accept more students and lift the cap we’ve had on enrollment due to limited housing options. This is not just construction. It’s a commitment to our future.”
 
The $54.7 million academic building project will replace Turner Hall and house classrooms, labs and faculty offices in a 94,000-square-foot facility designed by Evoke Studios, the firm behind SC State’s Engineering and Computer Science Complex. Harper General Contractors is managing construction.
 
Although the Student Services Building had been believed to be a historic Rosenwald School, research confirmed that it was not.
 
“We explored every reasonable option to preserve the Student Services Building, but after thorough review, it became clear that demolition was the best path forward,” Conyers said. “We remain deeply committed to honoring the history of SC State even as we build for the future.”
 
SC State will begin utility relocations and site prep in advance of foundation work this summer. The project will require lane closures along Geathers Street for approximately two years. During that time, traffic moving south on Geathers Street will be rerouted around the construction zone onto Naylor Street.
 
“We understand that all this construction will be disruptive at times — especially with road closures and shifting building access — but it’s a necessary part of growth,” Davis said. “A few years of growing pains will give us a campus that better serves our students, our faculty and the future of SC State.”
 
The academic facility and the Student Center projects are among several transformational capital projects underway across campus, supported by state and federal investment.
 
These include three key residential projects:

• Queens Village Student Apartments: The first phase of renovations is now complete, adding 24 beds to the university’s housing inventory. The second phase, set for this summer, will renovate additional units. Davis said he hopes to have the entire complex ready for occupancy in the fall.
• Sojourner Truth Hall Renovation: A $15 million state-funded overhaul of the 14-story residence hall will begin this summer in phases. Because the building lacks a fire suppression system, only the lower floors have remained in use in recent years. The phased renovation will install a sprinkler system and make critical infrastructure upgrades, allowing upper floors to reopen and increasing housing capacity by fall 2027. SC State will temporarily lose 132 beds during construction, though the additional capacity from Queens Village will help offset the impact. Once fully renovated, Truth Hall will return to its full capacity of 384 beds.
• 500-Bed Residence Hall: Slated for construction next to Mitchell Hall, this new housing complex is expected to open in fall 2027. Funded through the federal HBCU Capital Financing Program, the project has received Phase I approval, and Little Architects have been selected for design services. Construction manager at risk (CM-R) interviews have concluded, and negotiations are underway.

 
Once all three projects are complete, the university will have added nearly 1,000 beds to its residential capacity. Coupled with private apartment projects in the works near the SC State campus, the new beds will allow SC State to meet the demand for housing and increase enrollment. 
 
Also on tap at SC State are five more projects intended to better serve students:

• New Health and Wellness Center: Also funded by the HBCU Capital Financing Program, this 45,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium will support student fitness, wellness and athletics. It, too, has Phase I approval. McMillan Pazdan Smith has been selected for design services. CM-R interviews have concluded, and negotiations are underway.
• Student Center Expansion: Following the renovation, a separate $20 million expansion will adds 40,000 square feet of student life space, including a new cafeteria and a new bookstore. The project is in the predesign phase with Coast Architects, and Thompson Turner Construction serves as the CM-R.
• New University Library: With $30.3 million in state funding, SC State will replace the Miller F. Whittaker Library with a new facility near Davis Hall. The new library will be constructed on the site formerly occupied by Bradham and Manning Halls — former residence halls that were demolished to make way for future development. In addition to modern library services, the building also will house the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College. Phase I approval was received on April 8. Evoke Studios has been selected for design services. A request for qualifications for CM-R will be advertised later in May.
• The University Transportation Center: With approximately $11 million in federal funds and a $2.5 million state match, this research center is pending administrative approval and is expected to begin construction in the fourth quarter of this year.
• Nance Hall Renovation: SC State has requested state funding to renovate Nance Hall, which will become the future home of the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences. The project is in the planning phase, pending legislative action.
   
  A watershed moment is expected in mid-June as the state approval process advances for several projects. Davis expects to break ground on those projects in the first quarter of 2026.
   
  President Conyers expressed gratitude to state leaders and trustees who have helped make the transformation possible.
   
  “We thank the South Carolina General Assembly, Gov. Henry McMaster, our Board of Trustees and Chairman Douglas Gantt for recognizing the urgent need and supporting our campus transformation,” he said. “They understand what this moment means for SC State and the generations of students who will benefit from these improvements.”
   
  In addition to the more than $210 million in development on the main campus, SC State’s Public Service and Agriculture Division (PSA) is also expanding its statewide footprint. At Camp Harry E. Daniels in Elloree, the university is developing a new limnology research center focused on freshwater science, aquatic ecosystems and environmental stewardship. Additional facilities are also in the works to support research, demonstration and community outreach.
   
  PSA is also enhancing facilities at its research and demonstration farm in Olar, which plays a key role in agricultural innovation, student training and support for South Carolina’s farmers.