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New $200M Med School in the Plans for USC & A Couple Other Major Projects
Posted on 1/20/16 at 9:40 pm
Posted on 1/20/16 at 9:40 pm
https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article55639490.html
Med School
New Law School and Science Lab Renovations
2nd Student Union
Med School
quote:
The University of South Carolina plans to build a new $200 million health-care campus for its School of Medicine, asking for $50 million from state lawmakers to jump-start the project.
lans call for a four-building campus that would include a new medical school, a life-science facility, a private medical-research office and a parking garage, said Russ Meekins, director of the USC Foundation, a funding arm of the university. Two more buildings could be added and shared by USC and the hospital, Meekins said.
USC and the hospital’s parent company, Palmetto Health, will be partners, already having agreed to merge their medical practices.
The first 130,000-square-foot building, slated to open in 2020 at a cost of $80 million, would include classrooms and other teaching facilities. USC would pay for that building with $30 million in gifts and money from city and county government funds, and the $50 million in state money requested.
The second phase would include a 165,000-square-foot research facility, opening in 2023, with space for the school’s other clinical health programs. The $120 million price tag would be paid with cash and gifts, and by borrowing. No other state money would be requested, USC’s Walton said.
New Law School and Science Lab Renovations
quote:
The largest request, other than the health-care campus, is $21.5 million to renovate and modernize the building now housing the law school, one of the largest classroom buildings on campus. The university received $3.5 million from the state last year for the work. USC plans to spend another $20 million renovating the building into science lab space.
The law school is moving to a new $80 million building in 2017.
2nd Student Union
quote:
More work is planned, including renovating Carolina Coliseum into a second student union. That project could cost about $50 million to $60 million, Pastides said. The student union would be on the coliseum’s concourse level, Walton said. The renovated building, which houses Gamecock basketball practice facilities and offices, could include student services, such as financial-aid offices, in the basement, once used for classrooms.
The coliseum renovation needs approval from USC trustees. It approved, it will be completed about 2020, Walton said.
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Posted on 1/21/16 at 1:35 am to CockInYourEar
Very ambitious. I applaud the university for trying. Unfortunately, our state legislature doesn't believe in funding education, higher or lower.
In the end, USC will end up funding these projects alone over a 50 year period.
In the end, USC will end up funding these projects alone over a 50 year period.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 4:35 am to CockInYourEar
I know they just moved the business school down there and the university as a whole is moving west, but what an inconvenient place to put a student union. I mean, I guess with those new apartments right there it's accessible to them for student services, but if I wanted to eat or sleep I'd just walk home.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 6:55 am to DorchesterGamecock
quote:
Unfortunately, our state legislature doesn't believe in funding education, higher or lower.
They have cut the funding significantly to higher ed over the past couple decades (especially if you look at it from percentages.)
quote:
In the end, USC will end up funding these projects alone over a 50 year period.
I think they get the funding for the med school they are requesting, but I don't know about the others.
They state will have more money to allocate next year than the previous year.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 7:00 am to CockInYourEar
It is going to be sad to see the Med School leave the Garners Ferry campus. However, it makes sense to have the med school closer to Palmetto Richland.
I'm sure the VA wouldn't mind getting its land back also.
I also hope MUSC doesn't bitch and moan about this and put up a big fight.
I'm sure the VA wouldn't mind getting its land back also.
I also hope MUSC doesn't bitch and moan about this and put up a big fight.
This post was edited on 1/21/16 at 7:03 am
Posted on 1/21/16 at 7:01 am to GetCocky11
I'm also excited to see that the Carolina Coliseum Student Union project may actually move forward. The Russell House is way too small, and the Carolina Coliseum is just sitting there wasting away.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 7:51 am to GetCocky11
quote:
I'm sure the VA wouldn't mind getting its land back also.
Probably. SC was paying virtually nothing for the lease, it would go up to $7.5M if they don't move in a decade.
quote:
I also hope MUSC doesn't bitch and moan about this and put up a big fight.
Possibly, but a couple years ago it would have been worse b/c their state appropriations were being cut for multiple consecutive years. The past 2 years they've gone up significantly. The state gave them $93M in '14 and $105M in '15. We should have more money as a state to allocate this year.
https://academicdepartments.musc.edu/vpfa/finance/budget/fy2015operatingbudget.pdf
Their 'fight' in this situation will depend on if they get all or most of the funding they were requesting this year.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 8:02 am to GetCocky11
quote:
I'm also excited to see that the Carolina Coliseum Student Union project may actually move forward. The Russell House is way too small, and the Carolina Coliseum is just sitting there wasting awa
The land the Carolina Coliseum is on is extremely valuable b/c of the proximity to everything. Refurbishing/renovating it as a student union would be nice and convenient for the Greeks, Student/Athletes in Lincol650 and people who usually live off campus and who drive in to park. It also housed many of the HRSM classes.
As a venue, it's totally replaceable by everything the Colonial Life Arena offers. The building looks awesome though, so I hope they don't tear it down, but just renovate and refurbish.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 8:08 am to CockInYourEar
quote:
As a venue, it's totally replaceable by everything the Colonial Life Arena offers. The building looks awesome though, so I hope they don't tear it down, but just renovate and refurbish.
There was some rendering out there a few years ago about how a student union coliseum could look.
Found it:
If the finished product looked anything close to that, then it would look amazing.
This post was edited on 1/21/16 at 8:09 am
Posted on 1/21/16 at 8:18 am to GetCocky11
Just graduated a couple of years ago and parked in the coliseum parking lot and literally every day I would look at that building and mutter to myself, "why are you even there?" I know they have some classes in the basement and we used it for the First year reading experience talk but other than that it played no role.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 8:22 am to GameCocky88
Basketball team practices there. Every so often bands that are traveling through will use it as rehearsal space.
The colleges in the basement are all slated to move out of there with the old business school being available and the old law school soon to be available.
The colleges in the basement are all slated to move out of there with the old business school being available and the old law school soon to be available.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 9:30 am to GetCocky11
Love this thread ... tons of good points and discussion.
I think we may be surprised at how well we do privately funding these projects.
Things are different these days, in terms of big money donors willing to pony-up and get their names on things before they pass.
Of course, these budgets (projected costs) will likely double before the projects are completed so state funding will still be a necessity over time, but the bond market it about to become much more attractive for most investors and if we do have to go that route it'll be an easy sell.
I would expect us to reach out for corporate sponsors as well, given that we're still developing the Vista area, the Innovista Research District, and big money business is wanting to establish a presence here - they are starting to beat down the door from what I've been told.
Things are changing for the positive for our beloved USC. I hope I live long enough to see some of the things being talked about in this thread.
I remember vividly, being at Gibbes Volkswagon (ala Gibbes Machinery) with my Mom picking up her Bug, and looking across the street at the Coliseum as it was being built. Gibbes had been the Packard and Studebaker deal there for years as well and it was a busy place back then ... that had to be late '66 or early '67. A year or two later the Coliseum was the center point when President Nixon visited Columbia ... but everyone turned-out to see the car that JFK was shot in, in Dallas. Nixon was using it although it had been upgraded with a hardtop since the assassination.
I'd love to see the Coliseum put to good use again, and the Russell House upgraded as well.
It's long overdue moving the medical center to campus. I'm a regular at Dorn VA and I've always thought the place was dark, drab and dull and not inviting to new prospective students. We need to do much better there.
And the Law School upgrade is needed as well. I've got a close family member who is an honored (retired) member of that department who has been pushing, for years, to bring it up to modern standards. We've made some big donations over the years, for various upgrades and improvements, but they've been barely recognizable and more band-aid fixes IMHO ... totally disappointing.
One last thing worth mentioning.
Our athletic department is close to reaching a point where certain upgrades and improvements are going to be considered overkill by our BoTs ... I can see it coming. We're about to reach a point where everything is new and we'll realize a huge surplus in the athletic department. Do not be surprised to see funds diverted towards some of these projects in an effort to help the academic cause. It happens, in cycles, and as long as the emergency fund is fully funded with the athletic department it will not be a major deal.
I expect our emergency fund to hit $100 million within the next seven or eight years ... when $70 million was the original goal. So it would not be unexpected to see $!0 or $20 or even $30 million in athletic department revenue being diverted towards some of these projects.
I think we may be surprised at how well we do privately funding these projects.
Things are different these days, in terms of big money donors willing to pony-up and get their names on things before they pass.
Of course, these budgets (projected costs) will likely double before the projects are completed so state funding will still be a necessity over time, but the bond market it about to become much more attractive for most investors and if we do have to go that route it'll be an easy sell.
I would expect us to reach out for corporate sponsors as well, given that we're still developing the Vista area, the Innovista Research District, and big money business is wanting to establish a presence here - they are starting to beat down the door from what I've been told.
Things are changing for the positive for our beloved USC. I hope I live long enough to see some of the things being talked about in this thread.
I remember vividly, being at Gibbes Volkswagon (ala Gibbes Machinery) with my Mom picking up her Bug, and looking across the street at the Coliseum as it was being built. Gibbes had been the Packard and Studebaker deal there for years as well and it was a busy place back then ... that had to be late '66 or early '67. A year or two later the Coliseum was the center point when President Nixon visited Columbia ... but everyone turned-out to see the car that JFK was shot in, in Dallas. Nixon was using it although it had been upgraded with a hardtop since the assassination.
I'd love to see the Coliseum put to good use again, and the Russell House upgraded as well.
It's long overdue moving the medical center to campus. I'm a regular at Dorn VA and I've always thought the place was dark, drab and dull and not inviting to new prospective students. We need to do much better there.
And the Law School upgrade is needed as well. I've got a close family member who is an honored (retired) member of that department who has been pushing, for years, to bring it up to modern standards. We've made some big donations over the years, for various upgrades and improvements, but they've been barely recognizable and more band-aid fixes IMHO ... totally disappointing.
One last thing worth mentioning.
Our athletic department is close to reaching a point where certain upgrades and improvements are going to be considered overkill by our BoTs ... I can see it coming. We're about to reach a point where everything is new and we'll realize a huge surplus in the athletic department. Do not be surprised to see funds diverted towards some of these projects in an effort to help the academic cause. It happens, in cycles, and as long as the emergency fund is fully funded with the athletic department it will not be a major deal.
I expect our emergency fund to hit $100 million within the next seven or eight years ... when $70 million was the original goal. So it would not be unexpected to see $!0 or $20 or even $30 million in athletic department revenue being diverted towards some of these projects.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 9:40 am to scrooster
quote:
And the Law School upgrade is needed as well. I've got a close family member who is an honored (retired) member of that department who has been pushing, for years, to bring it up to modern standards. We've made some big donations over the years, for various upgrades and improvements, but they've been barely recognizable and more band-aid fixes IMHO ... totally disappointing.
The condition that our Law School has been allowed to deteriorate into has been disappointing. I know that we will never be a premier law school or anything, but they can do a lot better. I drive by the new Law School every day and am excited to see the progress. I'm hopeful that the new facility brings about a more promising future.
I don't know much about the quality of our med school. However, the fact that they've been allowed to languish on the Dorn VA campus for this long has been disappointing. I understand that they've had a favorable lease, but that is a very run down and overcrowded campus.
This post was edited on 1/21/16 at 9:41 am
Posted on 1/21/16 at 10:18 am to GetCocky11
quote:
The condition that our Law School has been allowed to deteriorate into has been disappointing. I know that we will never be a premier law school or anything, but they can do a lot better. I drive by the new Law School every day and am excited to see the progress. I'm hopeful that the new facility brings about a more promising future.
The new building and the premier location is going to help to attract quality faculty and students. Everything goes together here and are a piece of the puzzle. I expect our law school's ranking. Right now we're #94 for US News and we're somewhere inside the Top100 for most of the other reviewers out there. I would expect us to jump up about 20+ rankings in the next 5 years. The new building was a big part of this, but it will have an impact on faculty/staff and applicants as well.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 11:09 am to GetCocky11
I remember all of the hoopla in the Daily Gamecock when they released those renderings a few years ago. At the time, they threw around the price tag of $100 million to renovate the Coliseum. I figured it wouldn't be that expensive.
I graduated just a few years ago too. I was very involved in Student Media and Carolina Productions as a student and we pretty much lobbied for additional space for student orgs during my entire 4 years at USC. The situation for student orgs is dire... there's not enough meeting or office space. There's a lottery to get meeting space in the RuHo. Something like 80% of student orgs have their meetings in classroom buildings (when I was there, it's probably higher now). The Russell was built when Carolina was a much smaller school... now we're approaching 35,000 students and have over 300 student orgs.
We need more space in general. We don't even have enough mailboxes in the on campus post office for on campus students. Student services needs to be centrally located as well.. it's crazy that you have to go to 5 different buildings to go to the Bursar's, Registrar's, Financial Aid, Financial Services, etc.. all student services would be better served in one location. That's why the coliseum works perfectly. It's huge and centrally located. You could have your student union, student services, student media, and student entertainment options all in one area. We'd still keep the Russell but now we'd have "Russell-West"
Also, isn't IBM/Fluor building a research office building in collaboration with the university adjacent to the Coliseum? I'm sure they would rather be neighbor to something more attractive. They'd probably be willing to pony up some cash. That renovation would look amazing next to the new business school.
My question is this. If we finally renovate the coliseum, does the plan for a basketball practice facility get revived. I know the plan was to build a standalone practice facility in the Athletics Village... but then they made practice courts in the coliseum, WBB has new offices and MBB has plans for a reno? So what happens to the practice facility?
I haven't been to campus since the first completed the Assembly Street project. Each time I come back it looks different. I'm excited for what's next!
I graduated just a few years ago too. I was very involved in Student Media and Carolina Productions as a student and we pretty much lobbied for additional space for student orgs during my entire 4 years at USC. The situation for student orgs is dire... there's not enough meeting or office space. There's a lottery to get meeting space in the RuHo. Something like 80% of student orgs have their meetings in classroom buildings (when I was there, it's probably higher now). The Russell was built when Carolina was a much smaller school... now we're approaching 35,000 students and have over 300 student orgs.
We need more space in general. We don't even have enough mailboxes in the on campus post office for on campus students. Student services needs to be centrally located as well.. it's crazy that you have to go to 5 different buildings to go to the Bursar's, Registrar's, Financial Aid, Financial Services, etc.. all student services would be better served in one location. That's why the coliseum works perfectly. It's huge and centrally located. You could have your student union, student services, student media, and student entertainment options all in one area. We'd still keep the Russell but now we'd have "Russell-West"
Also, isn't IBM/Fluor building a research office building in collaboration with the university adjacent to the Coliseum? I'm sure they would rather be neighbor to something more attractive. They'd probably be willing to pony up some cash. That renovation would look amazing next to the new business school.
My question is this. If we finally renovate the coliseum, does the plan for a basketball practice facility get revived. I know the plan was to build a standalone practice facility in the Athletics Village... but then they made practice courts in the coliseum, WBB has new offices and MBB has plans for a reno? So what happens to the practice facility?
I haven't been to campus since the first completed the Assembly Street project. Each time I come back it looks different. I'm excited for what's next!
This post was edited on 1/21/16 at 11:15 am
Posted on 1/21/16 at 1:21 pm to DorchesterGamecock
quote:
The Russell was built when Carolina was a much smaller school... now we're approaching 35,000 students and have over 300 student orgs.
The Russell House (although it's been expanded several times most recently in the mid-70s) was built in the mid 50s when President Russell secured a lot of funding to go on a modern building spree of sorts. I was just a kid at the time but I do remember some of the newer buildings that fascinated me when we visited there - and I looked fondly upon as a student. To put it into perspective, at roughly the same time the Russell House was built, so was the REAC, McClintock, McBryde, Sumwalt, Callcott, The Honeycombs ... all of that was built during roughly the same five year period from say '55-'60. Wade Hampton, Coker, all of those ... the campus was booming and it was all considered very modern stuff at the time. Heck, even the Thomas Cooper (a real campus jewel IMHO) ... which, and I lol a little thinking about it ... but think about it. Sumwalt, The Russell House, Thomas Cooper ... all named after University Presidents.
When will we see the Palms, Sorenson or Pastides buildings?
And to your point of enrollment ... it was between 5,000 - 6,500 through the 50s and well into the 60s. That it is now 35k is just amazing to me, it blows my mind. I cannot imagine the class sizes these days.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 1:49 pm to DorchesterGamecock
quote:
Also, isn't IBM/Fluor building a research office building in collaboration with the university adjacent to the Coliseum?
Yes,
quote:
My question is this. If we finally renovate the coliseum, does the plan for a basketball practice facility get revived. I know the plan was to build a standalone practice facility in the Athletics Village... but then they made practice courts in the coliseum, WBB has new offices and MBB has plans for a reno? So what happens to the practice facility?
I don't think that will change much. The refurbishing/renovations will be in the offices classrooms below Assembly street level and to the concourses. The Basketball Offices will still be there. I think that's the plan, but I'm not 100%.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 2:19 pm to DorchesterGamecock
quote:
I graduated just a few years ago too. I was very involved in Student Media and Carolina Productions as a student and we pretty much lobbied for additional space for student orgs during my entire 4 years at USC. The situation for student orgs is dire... there's not enough meeting or office space. There
I can't even imagine. When I was essentially living in the Daily Gamecock offices in the early 00s, we barely had enough space to produce the paper. That place has to be claustrophobic by now.
I remember when I started, the Carolina Center was just completed, and my fraternity house wasn't yet finished. I thought it was so far away from campus. Now, it's damn near central.
And Rooster, I agree about the athletic department. The BOY is going to slow the development there, and they honestly should. The athletic department ought to begin funding the university at large. Good to see the school modernizing in such a way.
Posted on 1/21/16 at 4:08 pm to GameCocky88
quote:
Just graduated a couple of years ago and parked in the coliseum parking lot and literally every day I would look at that building and mutter to myself, "why are you even there?
If you parked the Coliseum and walked to campus you must've known how invaluable it was to get a 15 second reprieve from the heat in cold months and some AC in the hot months. (that and the Coker building)Posted on 1/25/16 at 9:54 am to CockInYourEar
quote:
Refurbishing/renovating it as a student union would be nice and convenient for the Greeks, Student/Athletes in Lincol650 and people who usually live off campus and who drive in to park. It also housed many of the HRSM classes.
To add, by the time this happens, there will be more dorms and private student housing between the Coliseum and the river.
Then, we need to tear down all of the houses by the baseball stadium and build a new football stadium by the river.
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