ORANGE, Texas — The demolition of the Capital One bank building in downtown Orange started on Tuesday as Lamar State College Orange begins its campus expansion
LSCO president Dr. Thomas Johnson said the goal of the campus expansion is to add beauty and functionality to the campus.
According to LSCO marketing and public information director Amy Moore, the campus expansion plants got a kick start in September 2019 when the college was able to buy the old Capital One bank building in downtown Orange at a reduced cost.
That's $65,000 to be exact.
The property where the building sits will be the focus of the campus expansion as a brand new academic center more than three times the size of the old bank building it will replace.
In addition to the new academic center, Dr. Johnson said the hope is to put in a new walkway leading to and from the academic center.
"This will be a plaza across here and there will be bollards so that people can't drive through here, and so our students can walk across safely. Because you know that's one of the key things is you want beauty but you want it to be functional and safe."
Dr. Johnson wants the new additions to the campus as part of the expansion to be enjoyed by both students and the general public.
"We're gonna add green spaces and places for students to sit and enjoy it, and also for the citizens of Orange so that in the afternoon they can come down here and enjoy it. It's a great safe place to walk. We're the community's college and we're proud of that fact," Johnson said.
The demolition of the bank building, along with the landscaping around that property and installation of the new walkway through campus is expected to take about six months to complete.
After that, the college will move forward with the rest of its campus expansion including the building of the new academic center.
Dr. Johnson said going to a two-year college like LSCO changed his life and he hopes the campus expansion will help make the college more attractive to prospective students.
"The mission of Lamar State College Orange is simple: 'Transforming Lives,' and that's what we're gonna do right here," Johnson said.
The college will pay for the campus expansion thanks to a tuition revenue bond it received from the state.