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Highlands Today

SFCC Plans Auditorium, LP Campus Improvements

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: February 21, 2008

AVON PARK — Renovations to South Florida Community College's Lake Placid Center and University Auditorium are in the works.

The SFCC Board of Trustees approved an architecture firm and construction management company at Wednesday's meeting. College officials will now begin negotiating contracts with Chastain-Skillman and Mathews Construction.

Next month, the board will select an architect and construction manager to handle renovations to the University Auditorium.

Renovations to the Lake Placid Center, located at 500 E. Interlake Blvd., will include the addition of an elevator, equipping more classrooms with SMART technology, building a science laboratory and making improvements to infrastructure, such as the air conditioning, roof and parking lot.

SFCC has $2.3 million in state funding for capital projects for the renovations to Lake Placid Center.
SFCC President Norman Stephens said college officials will create a list of priorities and determine what is feasible to complete with those funds.

The center consists of five buildings; the oldest building, which was used as a public school for grades 1-12 in the 1920s, is the main focus of the renovations.

Stephens said the addition of an elevator will allow the college to take advantage of space on the second floor, which will be renovated to include a science laboratory.

Stephens said the Lake Placid Center probably only has a lifespan of about five to 10 years; officials are considering other locations for a permanent facility.

"As Lake Placid grows, the center we have will not be large enough to accommodate the students," Stephens said. "We are already looking into long-term options for expansion. In the meantime, we want the students who attend classes there to have all the same services as our other campuses."

Stephens said college officials are in the process of interviewing architects and construction managers to handle the renovations to the auditorium. The project will likely cost about $6 million to 8 million and may be completed in phases, so it doesn't interfere with the cultural series.

The project will improve the stage area, increasing the fly space to allow for bigger shows. The seating will also be replaced and made roomier and a balcony could be added to maintain the seating capacity while increasing space between rows.

Stephens said money for the renovations will come from state funding as well as private donations. Renovations to the auditorium will likely begin next summer.

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