$70 million arena at USCB campus would be biggest in Beaufort County. Who’s paying?

Mary Dimitrov
·3 min read

Plans for a $70 million convocation center at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort’s Bluffton campus are once again progressing after COVID financing delays, supply chain issues and a price tag bump in the millions.

It will take at least another year or two to secure all the money and break ground, according to USCB Vice Chancellor for Finance Beth Patrick.

The multipurpose facility would be the largest in Beaufort County and seat 3,500 to 4,000 people for community and school athletic events.

Building the arena is part of USCB’s goal to expand its footprint on the Lowcountry in recent years.

The university completed construction on a $25 million Hilton Head campus in 2019 and built a $3.5 million student recreation center on its Bluffton campus in 2015. Recently USCB moved into the NCAA Division II with added volleyball and basketball teams for the 2023-24 term, and hired former Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp for the women’s basketball team.

The convocation center was proposed by the university in 2019 as a $35 million to $55 million project with construction starting in 2021 to be completed in 2024.

The Bluffton campus, USCB’s main campus, opened in 2004.
The Bluffton campus, USCB’s main campus, opened in 2004.

Then, the pandemic hit. It slowed down funding and disrupted the supply chain, making construction more expensive and changing the timeline for the building.

Patrick said the plan is for the state and Beaufort County to split the cost.

“It’s a real win-win for us to have a facility like this located in our community that meets [USCB’s] needs as well as community needs,” Patrick said.

An economic impact study of the center, conducted by the Regional Economic Analysis Laboratory at Clemson University in 2020, estimates construction would create between 124 and 203 jobs in Beaufort County. The study projects the center would contribute an average of $3.4 million to $4.3 million to the county per year after it’s built and create about 50 permanent jobs.

The site plan for the planned convocation center at USCB.
The site plan for the planned convocation center at USCB.

How will Beaufort County pay for it?

USCB has secured $16.25 million in funding from the state and has another $8.5 million allocated in the state’s proposed budget for next year.

Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, said he feels “confident that we can get them where they need to be.”

“It’s taking multiple budget years to come up with all the capital that they need,” he said. “And then over the last years you’ve also had price spikes peppered with inflation, so it’s understandable what their needs are and why they’re a little bit higher than initially estimated.”

Plans for a proposed $70 million convocation center at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort.
Plans for a proposed $70 million convocation center at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort.

Aside from $300,000 to start design work, the county hasn’t contributed any money toward the center yet, according to County Administrator Eric Greenway. He said officials are waiting for the state budget approval this year before starting solid plans to help finance the center, but the county has “every intention” to cooperate.

Previously, the county said it would most likely pay its share through through tax increment financing in which future revenues from local taxes would be diverted to pay for the construction of the center. However, that’s no longer the plan according to County Council Chairman Joseph Passiment.

Passiment said the funds will come from local property taxes.