COLUMBIA — The University of South Carolina hospitality management program in Bluffton and others are driving demand for on-campus housing, prompting the university to add a new dormitory to the nearly 2,000-student school.
The new dorm will be located at 63 University Pkwy. in Bluffton, according to materials submitted to coastal regulators at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control this month. Because Beaufort County is among the state’s coastal counties, state officials must review project plans to ensure they are consistent with the coastal zone standards.
Candace Brasseur, director of communication and marketing for the university, said the residence hall will be completed and ready for students by August of 2015.
“The new dormitory is being built in response to the high student demand for on-campus housing and anticipated growth of academic programs like Hospitality Management,” she said in an email Thursday. It will have 21 four bedroom apartments that will house 84 additional students. There are approximately 580 students currently living on campus. The cost is $4.3 million, although the figure is considered a turn key amount, so it includes all furniture, appliances, consultants’ fees, permitting and impact fees, supporting parking, and financing costs.
As for the environmental impact of the project, 1 acre of land will be disturbed in the course of the demolition of an existing paragon lot, along with the construction of the new building, sidewalks and utilities. The student body is about 1,800, and includes two campuses, Historic Beaufort and the Hilton Head Gateway campus in Bluffton, which is the University of South Carolina’s newest location. Thirty percent of the student body is minority. Spring classes began on Monday.
The new dormitory will be the eighth one added to Palmetto Village, the on-campus housing community.
