ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Claflin University is working to fill some of the voids of things to do in Orangeburg.
"When you don't have the stuff to keep minds active, and things a bay, then that's why a lot of trouble tends to happen when there nothing you can do for excitement," said Allen Frazier, Orangeburg resident.
The school is planning to build a brand-new three-story student center that will be open for the community to use.
"Our center will house amenities that are not in Orangeburg," explained Tijuana Hudson, Claflin's Vice-President of Fiscal Affairs. "We're going to have a ballroom that can seat 800 people. There is no other venue in Orangeburg county that can do that."
The facility is expected to cost roughly $20 million, with Claflin officials expecting to find partnerships with funding.
They hope to include new restaurants, a movie theatre, an arcade, and other amenities.
"Everything we have done was intentional to make sure the community had to want I fundamentally deserved. It's not just for the students; we could've put it on our campus, but we believe the community deserves it as well," explained Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack.
The project is in the early stages but is expected to be completed in 2023. Allen Fraizer, an Orangeburg resident, says the facility will keep more people local.
"For Claflin to be doing that, especially since it's a HBCU, and to bring stuff to the community speaks volumes," expressed Frazier.