‘An iconic building’: S.C. State breaks ground for new academic facility

South Carolina State University broke ground Friday morning for a new, $54.7 million academic building.

The 94,000-square-foot building will house the university's general education courses and education, criminal justice and humanities departments.

S.C. State President Alexander Conyers, quoting Winston Churchill, said “We shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us.”

“This new academic building will shape the next generation of doctors, lawyers, educators from South Carolina State University,” Conyers said. “This new academic building will shape the next 23 generals of South Carolina State University.”

“This new academic building will shape the next 15 university presidents from South Carolina State University to add to the leaders that we provide to the nations,” Conyers said.

The new building is being funded with money appropriated by the S.C. General Assembly. It is the first fully funded academic building provided to S.C. State in decades and represents the largest single capital appropriation in S.C. State's history, according to school officials.