Groundbreaking for new Tech building this Friday

Tri-County Technical College will break ground Friday morning on a 75,000-square-foot Student Success Center, the first new building on the Pendleton Campus in two decades. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Fulp Plaza area on the College’s Pendleton Campus or in case of rain, the Ruby Hicks Library Administration Building.  The public is invited to attend. There will be guest parking and shuttle service from the Tri-County Technical College Mechanic Street parking lot located one-half mile from campus. Officials will break ground following remarks by Tri-County President Ronnie L. Booth, Senator Lindsey Graham, Tommy Dunn (Anderson County Council Chair), Paul Cain (Oconee County Council Chair), Rep. Gary Clary, (Pickens County delegation member) Rep. Brian White (Senior Delegation Member – Anderson County) and Student Government Association President Brianna White.  The new $42 million building will house a learning commons, library collections, flexible meeting spaces, computer labs, group study areas, supplemental instruction and tutoring spaces, café, campus store, print shop, Student Development offices, Information Technology Services, shipping and receiving and the central plant.  Site prep for the construction got under way this summer, which required the removal of the amphitheater and Clarke and McKissick halls. The Student Success Center is set to open January 2018.  As part of the project, there will be a complete refurbishment of Ruby Hicks Hall, and the installation of a central chiller plant and chilled water loop, which will allow the College to reduce utilities and maintenance expenses. The architectural firm for the project is LS3P Associates, LTD, Greenville, SC, and the construction firm is Juneau Construction Company, LLC, Atlanta, GA.