Dateline: January 22, 2004

CC awards bid for $1.3 million library

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon College Regents accepted a $1.27 million bid for the construction of a new library when they met in regular session last Thursday.

Page & Associates of Amarillo will serve as the construction manager at-risk on the project, which is being funded by gifts to CC and the Clarendon College Foundation.

CC President Myles Shelton expressed the excitement of the college in getting the project underway.

“I’m looking forward to getting started and getting finished,” he said.

At 10,500 square feet, the new library will be about two and half times bigger than the present library.

The facility will be situated between the Administration Building and the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center and will be constructed to match the architecture of the rest of the campus with one main difference – the new building will sit at a 45-degree angle to its neighbors. That unique position will allow the building to fit neatly into the existing landscape.

“No trees will be harmed with this construction, but one ugly bush will have to go,” Shelton said.

Local residents should see activity begin on the project in early February, and the college will hold a formal groundbreaking on a date to be decided.

The project should be completed by the end of this year, and it should be ready for use in the spring 2005 semester.

No decision has been made about what to do with the current library space on the west end of the Administration Building, but Shelton said CC has three pressing needs – classroom space, office space, and space to house all student service functions in one location.

Shelton said he is happy with the way things are going for CC.

“We’ve accomplished a lot of things in the last 4½ years,” he said, “and I’m very pleased with the direction of the college.”

He touted the college’s graduation and transfer rates, its placement of the vocational program graduates, and other recent accomplishments.

“We spend so much time on things that could have been or should have been,” Shelton said. “This is an opportunity to look at the good things that have happened and make plans for the future.”

The Board of Regents did just that in other business last Thursday by taking formal action to adopt the institutional plan, “Opening Doors, Changing Lives.” The document, which outlines goals for CC through 2007, is the result of a yearlong process that started with visioning exercises in early 2003.

Also at last week’s meeting, the board received an update on remaining work on Regents Hall, heard reports from administrators, and voted to hire Briana Sperry as the new residence hall director for Knorpp Hall and new assistant coach.