THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610240324
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 96 lines
Local school administrators believe an education is one of the keys to a good future. The other key fits the door of a new building.
All three colleges and the public schools here are in the middle of aggressive construction plans, creating the promise of economic and educational prosperity.
Within the next three years, school officials will have spent nearly $50 million on buildings.
``Any time our schools are growing it's definitely to our advantage,'' said Randy Harrell, industrial developer for Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County. ``That's a big part of my recruitment.''
Harrell said modern-looking schools and aesthetic campuses are big selling points to his clients. College of the Albemarle's new technical building will be an important recruiting tool, he said. The new brick wall around Elizabeth City State University has been a positive influence on clients because it adds to the beauty of the school.
``Our schools have to be up to speed with other colleges across the state,'' said Harrell. ``Word of mouth is the best tool I have, and students who have been to Elizabeth City are some of our biggest selling factors.''
Here is what's ahead:
At a cost of $20 million, all seven elementary schools and the middle school in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County system have been renovated and a new middle school is due to open next fall. If a $1.8 billion statewide school bond passes Nov. 5, Pasquotank County gets $13.2 million of it to build a new high school.
College of Albemarle just received an additional $240,000 from the Pasquotank County Commissioners toward a new $2.4 million technical center. COA President Larry Donnithorne said groundbreaking will be in December or January. Expected completion date is the summer of 1998.
ECSU has plans for a $6.4 million, 45,000 square-foot fine arts building, a $2.1 million addition to the R.L. Vaughan athletic complex and a $2.8 million addition to the Academic Computing Center. They will all be completed by the summer of 1998. A $350,000 brick wall extending along a quarter mile of the campus boundary was completed in January.
Roanoke Bible College broke ground Aug. 31 and, pending a state building permit, will start construction of a $1.3 million student center. The center will include a gymnasium, a chapel and a library. Expected completion date is the fall of 1997.
``Obviously, this is job creation and there will be products and services supplied by local vendors,'' said Rhonda Martin, executive director of the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce. ``Our hotels will have high occupancy rates because of projects like these. And it is a sign that education is moving forward here, which is an excellent tool for recruiting and retaining business.''
COA's 20,000 square-foot building will house six computer labs for full-time students and continuing education, and a computer center for small businesses. Funds from a statewide community college construction bond that passed in late 1993 will pay for most of the building. Pasquotank County's contribution now totals $1 million. The center will be built on the north end of the campus.
Donnithorne said the technical center will offer an avenue for businesses to train employees and hold strategic planning conferences with computers. Eventually, the new center will be part of a bigger plan to offer training and access to the internet for citizens who do not have computers.
``What we teach and how we teach are drastically changing,'' said Donnithorne. ``We have to be giving instruction using the latest technology. We intend on doing that.''
ECSU's new fine arts center will include state-of-the-art studios, rehearsal rooms and classrooms. The Vaughan Center renovations include a wellness and fitness center, according to Mickey Burnim, chancellor of ECSU. The Academic Computing Center will triple in size to 25,000 square feet, adding computer laboratories and access to the internet and the World Wide Web.
``These capital improvements will enhance facilities for our students,'' said Burnim. ``All of these additions are needed at ECSU, and we are pleased that they are being implemented now.''
RBC's student center will be the first major building project for the school since a men's dormitory was built in 1987. This will be the 10th campus building. Four of those buildings are converted old homes. The new library will be nearly triple the size of the current library. The new chapel will be half again larger than the old one. The gymnasium replaces two goals on an outdoor court.
RBC's President William A. Griffin listed several more bonuses that come with the new center.
The public often uses the RBC library, which specializes in collections of religious books. The library is noted for friendly service but also is cramped and crowded. He said both college accrediting associations have asked that RBC expand and update its library.
The students and faculty can't wait for the new gymnasium. ``We've dreamed of a gymnasium for 30 or 40 years,'' said Griffin, who has been with RBC for 34 years and graduated there in 1962. He said having a gymnasium will help in recruiting students. The old chapel and library will become two large and badly needed classrooms.
``We think this new building will open a new era for us,'' said RBC President William Griffin. ``The aesthetic value alone will be a tremendous boost.''
``Educational opportunities in our region are as modern as we can make them,'' Donnithorne said. by CNB