LSCO breaks ground on new $38 Million Academic Building

Lamar State College Orange broke ground today on its new, state-of-the-art academic building. When finished, the nearly $38 million building will house academic classrooms, labs, and the Information Technology department.

The 87th Legislative session approved the funding and Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 52 into law in October 2021, officially granting Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) $37,435,695 to construct the new building.

"We are thrilled to break ground on this incredible new building that will provide a much-needed space for our students to learn the skills and concepts needed to meet their educational goals, whether that helps them begin work immediately or transfer to a four-year institution. We are also excited for our hard-working faculty to have a brand new space in which they can lead their students to new academic heights," said LSCO President Dr. Tom Johnson.

"We thank Speaker Phelan and Senator Nichols for their leadership on providing the funding for what will be a new hub of learning and life on our campus," President Johnson added.

Members of the community, elected and city officials, and staff and students gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking.

Helping LSCO President Dr. Tom Johnson break ground were Texas State University System Regents Stephen Lee and Sheila Faske, Cole Michalk from Speaker Dade Phelan's office, Jennifer Harris from Senator Nichols's office, Orange County Judge John Gothia, Gisela Houseman from the LSCO Foundation, LSCO Provost/EVP Dr. Wendy Elmore, LSCO CFO Mary Wickland, Jason Mooney from PBK Architects, and John Mixon from Durotech Contracting.

The building is the largest single capital investment that the Texas Legislature has granted Lamar State College Orange. It is expected to open in time for the Fall 2024 semester.

Lamar State College Orange is part of the Texas State University System. The System, founded in 1911, is Texas's first university system. TSUS member institutions serve more than 87,000 students on 13 campuses from far West Texas to the Gulf Coast.