Greenville Technical College broke ground on a nearly $70 million combined health and life sciences and general education building.
A pile of dirt in a parking lot off South Pleasantburg Drive represented the estimated center of the planned three-story, 125,000-square-foot facility, college President Keith Miller said. Small heaps were shoveled by leaders of the college, Gov. Henry McMaster, state and local officials, and representatives of Prisma Health during the ceremonial ground breaking on Oct. 5.
The planning started about 12 years ago. Its expected to open in 2024.
Students and campus visitors will be able to see “science in action” once the partially glass structure is complete, Miller said. Beyond traditional classrooms, there will be suites for medical imaging, ultrasounds, radiological technology and more. An anatomage lab will serve as a virtual cadaver, Miller said, with electronic dissection tables with life-size touch screens.
The building will also host classes for general education courses. Miller estimated almost 90 percent of the student body will use the facility. It will have non-classroom spaces like conversation rooms, study carrels and outdoor seating.
To deepen its long-standing partnership, Prisma Health System gave the college $1.5 million to help with construction costs and “strengthen the health care workforce development programs in Greenville Technical College,” said Jonathan Gleason, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Prisma Health. It will be named the Prisma Health Center for Health and Life Sciences building.
Prisma is the top employer of Greenville Tech students who go on to become nurses, X-ray technicians, physical therapists and more with the health system, Miller said.
From left to right, Prisma Health’s Chief Clinical Officer and Executive Vice President Jonathan Gleason, Gov. Henry McMaster and Greenville Technical College President Keith Miller. The three were part of a group of 16 doing a ceremonial ground breaking for Greenville Tech’s new health and life sciences building. Stephanie Mirah/Staff
Greenville Tech is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, opening its doors in 1962. It was the first technical college in the state and now is accompanied by 15 others across South Carolina.
More work is planned. Last year, the college opened its student success center. Future renovations are slated for its Engineering Technologies and University Transfer facilities, two decades-old buildings. Renovations will come later to the nursing building, Simulation Technologies and Training Center and the Student Commons.
McMaster said the life sciences industry has a $12 billion impact on South Carolina with over 1,000 companies operating across the state and employing around 30,700 people.
This summer, McMaster added a $25 million boost to an ongoing workforce scholarship program for South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges, with a goal of providing opportunities for 40,000 state residents.
