LCC Foundation Receives $100,000 Grant

Lamar Community College President John Marrin wants to get the ball rolling for the college’s proposed residence hall pods.  He estimates it will take approximately $350,000 for the infrastructure to supply lay in basic utilities for electricity, water and sewer for the new housing.  Marrin said he’s going to discuss in kind contributions from the city and county to begin the groundwork required for the first residence. 

Marrin explained, “The college needs increased enrollment for us to grow and the barrier to that growth is additional housing for our students.  This will be a key to our future.”  LCC has had plans for over a year for the first of several pods, but financing has been the main obstacle.  He did announce, along with LCC Foundation Director, Anne Marie Crampton, that the college has received its single largest donation in its 75 year history.  “Randy and Adeana Shaw are donating $100,000 to the Foundation,” Crampton said, during the City of Lamar’s monthly informal breakfast at the college on Wednesday, March 6. 

The first pod will be a one story, fourteen room unit with suites and common bathrooms to accommodate 28 students and will be located due east of the college cafeteria.  Plans for future growth call for additional pods located between the cafeteria and dorms east of the college parking lot.  Marrin stressed that once the college starts work on the basic infrastructure, he believes more funding will become available.  He was joined in that opinion by two other Foundation members, Karen Ketcham and Chris Wilkinson.  Ketcham said once ground has been broken on the first pod, it will show the college is moving forward with increased housing which will help the Foundation in its efforts to cultivate additional funding.  City Administrator John Sutherland said he’ll take the suggestion to the council and Marrin said he’d bring the proposal before the county commissioners in the near future.

By Russ Baldwin