Clemson University breaking new ground for business education

A 30-year wait and more than 2½ years of planning will culminate with a groundbreaking Friday for the new home to Clemson University’s College of Business.

The event that will change the face of business education and launch a new academic precinct on the Clemson campus will commence at 1 p.m., Friday in front of the Alumni Center, north of Walter T. Cox Boulevard. The groundbreaking for one of the biggest academic building projects in university history is open to the public.

“Discussions on this began in the mid-80s and 30 years later, here we are, on the doorstep of a new era of business education at Clemson that will become home to tens of thousands of students for generations to come,” said Bobby McCormick, College of Business dean. “Our old friend, Sirrine Hall, has served us well, but modern education needs to look and function like 21st century business, and that is what we are creating here.”

The 176,000-square-foot building is expected to be ready for occupancy in January of 2020. It will nearly double Clemson’s business education space for one of the university’s fastest-growing academic disciplines. It will also be the anchor of a new academic precinct that will one day occupy up to 600,000 to 700,000 square feet of building space.

The predominantly brick and glass five-story building will feature an open design that includes an atrium. Dual towers will be connected above ground by an expansive outdoor stairway leading to a plaza and overlooking Bowman Field and by an interior hallway on the building’s first floor.

“Clemson has taken another huge step as a world-class institution by growing its business education capabilities with this new facility, which is unparalleled on campus,” McCormick added. “This well-lit, inviting atmosphere will shine an even brighter light on our ability to shape students’ leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial skills. This is a historic project in size and scope because of the impact it will have on Clemson University’s future as a whole.”

Shuttles will begin transporting participants at noon from public parking lot R6 to the groundbreaking site. A reception will follow the ceremony and shuttles will start returning to the parking area at 2 p.m.

LMN Architects of Seattle is designing the building in collaboration with the Greenville office of South Carolina-based LS3P, the architect of record. Other members of the project team include DPR, general contractor/construction management, and OLIN landscape architecture.

Construction on the $87.5 million project will be funded through state appropriations, private gifts and institutional bonds.