Dr. David Shockley, president of Surry Community College, spoke to the Surry County Board of Commissioners last week to outline a massive upgrade and renovation project at the school — a conversation he said he was never expecting to have with the commissioners.
“I did not think that this project that we are bringing to you would have ever happen during my tenure at Surry Community College because I did not think we would be able to come up with close to $8 million,” he said.
He said that the General Assembly, “For the past two budgets elected not to do a statewide bond referendum and elected to do a pay as you go type model,” he said of various projects around the state. “They did that and included community colleges in there and SCC’s share of that from the past two years that we will procure this coming year is $7,888,312.”
Shockley wants to use that money to renovate the T-Building which he said is one of the original buildings on campus from 1964. It houses all the science labs and the Early College and is the top priority project on campus.
“When we left off with the balance of our T-building budget, we did everything that we could do in that building knowing that would be the next one we would remodel. In 2019 we put a roof on so that we would be able to maintain the integrity of the building, and we also did HVAC work to get it off the loop that you helped finance,” Shockley said. He added that window replacement and asbestos remediation was also done at that time.
“It is the worst building we currently have on our campus. So, we have been plugging along in that building, as a pay as you go type approach making sure that that building would be ready to go” when both the time and funds became available.
Shockley said the proposal is a complete renovation of all classrooms and science labs in the T-Building. An elevator will is also proposed as well as the completion of HVAC replacement. The college has consulted with Alliance Architecture of the Triad to develop a cost budget for the renovation of $9,450,000.
Shockley proposes to the use $7.8 million from the state Capital Infrastructure fund to gut the building “from wall to wall and basically using its guts to create a new 25,000 square foot building the most affordable way we can by repurposing it and design it for an Early College and science building that would meet the needs of the college going in to the next 50-60 years.”
“Basically, the skeleton of the building is good. It’s a perfect fit for that as it doesn’t have load bearing walls and so we’ll be able to repurpose it.”
“We’re estimating the totally to be $9.45 million but it could be less, but until we get a bid, we won’t know… but we have to make sure the funds are being procured before we’re able to go beyond that,” he explained.
“We’re coming to the board to make sure we have the commitment for the $1.6 million with the caveat that we may be able to get this funding in the next budget. We are coming to you in preparation as we have to guarantee that money before we can move forward in this project,” he said.
College officials are also trying to seek that money other places, Shockley said, so with the knowledge their assistance may not be needed, the board took no action on Shockley’s request.
Chairman Van Tucker asked Shockley that given upward pressures on prices if he felt good about the estimates. Shockley said he did because around eight years ago they had similar projects priced out and were quoted around $7 million at that time.
“It looks like what you’re going to do is take the shell and totally build a new building in and around?” Tucker asked.
Shockley said, “The inside will be nice, but it’s going to be to community college standards and not be a Taj Mahal. You’ll have 2025-2026 1964-model building… it will be a restored classic.”
“These buildings are old, and they are dated. We keep doing the same model where we go in and remodel and gut it and make it look brand new, but it’s still the old shell,” he explained.
Vice Chairman Mark Marion said that the college was a large part of local economic development and asked about enrollment in trades programs. Shockley said that numbers go up and down and pointed to welding and machining, two areas where there had been a recent ebb in enrollment, but both have seen interest levels shoot back up.
Shockley did point to one area of concern. “Where we are really suffering and where it’s going to impact you as commissioners is in our public service areas. Our law enforcement keeps running low numbers and we have to get permission to run the class under 10. We’ve had to do that more than I’d care to do. Paramedic/EMS is another one of those where numbers are low, and interest is not there — those programs are struggling.”
Surry Yadkin Works he said, “Is probably the best answer that I have for you and it’s the best thing I have seen in 28 years because the whole community, that’s one thing we have come together and agreed upon, and we’ve put 630 students in three years in paid apprenticeships and internships.”
“It’s providing that lifeline between the public schools into the colleges and into business and industry,” Shockley said.
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