If any of you Qcity residents attended S.C. State University, you no doubt remember Bethea Hall, the men’s dorm that used to sit between Hodge Hall and Mays II.
We say “used to sit” because Bethea Hall is being torn down to make room for a new $24 million engineering and computer science complex.
Demolition began six months ago to address environmental concerns, and bulldozers moved in Aug. 5 to finish the job, expected to be completed by Oct. 1.
Bethea Hall was built in 1955 and named after Wallace C. Bethea of Orangeburg, S.C., a former S.C. State trustees.
Once cleared, the area will be used as green space until construction starts on the engineering building in 2010. The 85,000-square-foot complex will house teaching and research labs, classrooms, offices and other support spaces.
Other buildings will be demolished to support extra parking. The space will be needed, school officials say, to accommodate expected growth from students interested in S.C. State’s nuclear engineering program (the only such program at an HBCU) and its nationally accredited computer science program.
