A South Carolina HBCU is extending its mission of elevation and transformation to include its surrounding community.
Next year, Claflin University, a historical black university (HBCU) based in Orangeburg, will open the doors to a Student Activity and Community Center (SACC). This project will build upon the University’s ongoing commitment to address identified needs of its community and residents of the greater Orangeburg area.
“The center will serve as the living room and central gathering place for faculty, staff, students, and community members,” said Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, President of Claflin University. “This will be the space we call the living room of our campus.”
The three-story community- focused facility will include classrooms, meeting spaces, and amenities such as a movie theater, performing arts studio, hair salon, campus pantry, and an event space. The University’s leadership is committed to tying Claflin and Orangeburg closer together, offering more amenities to students and locals, and serving as a hub for economic growth in the region.
“This building will shape generations of students to come, and we hope it will have just as large of an impact on the community of Orangeburg as not only as a gateway to Claflin but as a gateway to Orangeburg and to the community and to the activities in Orangeburg,” said James Lehman, Chairman of Claflin University’s Board of Trustees.
South Carolina Community Loan Fund invested $3.5 million to the project through the New Markets Tax Credit program. Learn more about our New Markets Tax Credits work here or contact our Senior Loan and New Market Tax Credit Officer Brendan Buttimer at brendan@sccommunityloanfund.org.
“We recognize that being able to grow a community and creating opportunities for people really starts with a vast array of services being available,” said Brendan Buttimer, our Senior Loan and New Markets Tax Credit Officer. “This project is helping to build a community and helping it grow and thrive.”
