Coker College Begins Construction on Residential Facility

Source: South Carolina Construction News

Coker College has begun construction on a 48-bed residential facility, the first of up to six, at the corner of East Carolina Avenue and Second Street South. A public groundbreaking ceremony and reception at the site will be held at 2 p.m. January. 25, reports My Hartsville Today.

“Following four straight years of increasing enrollment and plans that call for still more growth, our need for new facilities is obvious,” said Coker College Robert Wyatt. “Meeting this demand is a challenge we relish.

“When we accept students into the Coker family, we’ve made a commitment to them (as they have to us) to do our very best to make sure the four-year experience is exceptional. Providing a selection of premium housing options is part of that commitment.”

Designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the three-story apartment-style building includes 12 suites and a large wrap-around porch on every level to provide welcoming spaces for students. The full six-building residential complex is designed to complement existing campus architecture and have the look and feel of a modern village neighborhood.

With the amenities of apartment living, each suite includes four single bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a kitchen and a large living/dining area. The construction project is being managed by Choate Construction Co. of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and the first building of the project is scheduled for completion by fall 2013.

The new residential village represents the third expansion to Coker’s residential facilities in as many years. Working with Hartsville architect Bobby Goodson, and building owners Steve Avant and Jeff Winburn and others, 10 luxury apartment-style units, the Downtown Lofts, were opened in 2011 and another facility, the Downtown Flats, which included seven two-bedroom suites, opened in 2012.