Russell House, USC’s student union, could be expanding. Here’s what we know

Russell House, built in 1955, has served as the heart of student life on the University of South Carolina’s campus for almost seven decades.

As USC grows, its campus becomes more decentralized — students spend time away from Greene Street and take advantage of newer amenities. But the university is looking to breathe new life into the student union, and is seeking $25 million from the state to renovate and expand Russell House.

Over the summer, the student union’s flooring and furnishings were updated to fit a more modern aesthetic. On the second floor, Gamecock Park opened as a revamped dining hall with seating for more than 300 people. A new display celebrating the union’s history and founders was also installed in Russell House.

University spokesman Jeff Stensland said the makeover made students realize Russell House is a comfortable space to spend time.

If the budget request is approved, funds would go towards safety improvements and enhancements to ballrooms and meeting rooms, Stensland said. The building’s HVAC system and the roof would be replaced.

Aspirations for the building include a physical expansion of the student union — more space for organizations to meet, events to be catered and students to congregate.

“It’s a priority for us because the last significant expansion of the Russell House was in 1976,” Stensland said. “We want to ensure any changes are ones that meet the needs of today’s student population.”

An expansion of Russell House would better serve the student body, which has grown exponentially since the 1950s. And compared to other universities, USC’s student union is old — the oldest in the Southeastern Conference. Every other SEC school has had major additions in the 2000s, Stensland said.

The 2010 Campus Master Plan identified an additional 125,000 square feet needed for student life by the 2014-15 academic year. A more recent study brought the need to 241,500 square feet.

“We’ve outgrown it,” said Reedy Newton, USC’s student body president. “We really need a building that meets the current needs of our students.”

Students feel as though Russell House is a building for freshman dining, Newton said, and the pandemic may have exacerbated that.

“I think the director of the Russell House, Kim McMahon, has done a fabulous job of working to improve the building internally in the interim,” Newton said. “But I think we’re at a critical point and we need a physical expansion.”

An expansion would be “transformative,” Newton said. Upperclassmen and graduate students could feel like the student union serves them too.

The requested funds account for 30% of the cost of the proposed renovations. The source of the remaining 70% has not been decided, but will likely involve taking on debt.

“We’ll need to revisit the scope of the project and get updated cost projections,” Stensland said. Those projections could be ready by spring.