Say goodbye to Fatz. Spartanburg Community College announces $50M expansion near Gaffney's Peachoid.
Story Date: 11/18/2024

Say goodbye to Fatz. Spartanburg Community College announces $50M expansion near Gaffney's Peachoid.
By Chris Lavender
Nov 15, 2024 
 
GAFFNEY — Student enrollment is expected to more than double at Spartanburg Community College's Cherokee County Campus with expansion plans moving forward to build new facilities in the shadow of the iconic Peachoid.

The Peachoid — a 135-foot water tower built in 1981 and fashioned to look like a peach — is visible to those traveling on Interstate 85 and was featured in the Netflix series "House of Cards." The college has purchased 20 acres near The Peachoid, including the former Fatz restaurant site, with plans to develop it for future use.

Local and state officials gathered at the site Nov. 15 and watched as the Fatz restaurant sign was removed. It certainly pleased State Sen. Harvey Peeler, who has wanted the sign removed for years since it obstructed the view of The Peachoid.

Among those who attended the ceremony was Gaffney Mayor Lyman Dawkins. He said the college's $50 million expansion will help jumpstart the local economy.

It will feature The Spark Center as a business incubator and to train students for a global economy. The college hopes to duplicate the success of its Tyger River Spark Center in Duncan where it's helped support the creation of more than 130,000 jobs. 

"This is going to be a tremendous economic development tool to accelerate our economy," Dawkins said. "It's not only going to benefit Cherokee County residents but residents throughout the state on so many levels. Businesses can come here and stand up and students will have something they have never had before with the student center. It's going to boost our economy as a whole."

Amanda Painter, SCC vice president of community enhancement and workforce development, said the expansion plan is being designed and will be constructed in phases.

The first two buildings constructed will be The Spark Center and new classroom space for students. Once designs are complete, construction should start soon, although no date has been set. After this project, the site will still have space for future construction.

"We average between 700 and 1,000 students every fall on our Cherokee County campus," Painter said. "The expansion will allow us to double our enrollment on this campus."

Over the past year, SCC has experienced a 17 percent increase in enrollment across its five campuses with 6,200 students enrolled. College President Michael Mikota expects growth to continue. 

"With all the changes happening in higher education and economic development, we want to continue to lead and replicate what we are doing here in Cherokee County," Mikota said. "It is important for us to work as a team and create opportunities for our citizens in Cherokee County."

Mikota said The Spark Center in Cherokee County will become an economic accelerator helping launch new businesses focusing on the manufacturing and health care sectors. The new center will also assist in helping new technology businesses gain a foothold in the Upstate. 

Painter expects growth in Cherokee County to continue.

Gaffney's population of about 12,500 residents is expected to increase to just over 17,000 residents over the next five years with new housing on the way. 

"Our county's growth is dependent upon strong educational partners that ensure relevant, affordable, and accessible educational opportunities for our community," Painter said. "The expansion of SCC's Cherokee County Campus allows us to continue to make Cherokee County a place companies want to invest in."