Donnan/COBE Project Work Opens New Vistas
Posted on: January 31, 2023
NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr., (left) looks over the university’s quadrangle as he tours the upper level of the university’s Donnan Administration Building with NGU Faculty Chair Dr. Becky Thompson, (center) and Mick Daniel, vice president for campus enhancement services (right).
Tigerville, SC (January 30, 2023) Major demolition inside at North Greenville University’s (NGU) Donnan Administration Building has paved the way for the renovated landmark on the Tigerville campus to start taking on a new shape.
Scheduled for completion in early 2024, the Donnan/College of Business and Entrepreneurship (COBE) Project will provide contemporary classrooms; student gathering and collaboration spaces; offices for COBE leadership and faculty; and conference rooms and offices for senior administration.
“The renovations are a perfect symbol of what we are doing university-wide: building on the past in ways that prepare for the future,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr.
NGU Faculty Chair Dr. Becky Thompson joined President Fant and NGU First Lady Lisa Fant to tour the building with Mick Daniel, Vice President for Campus Enhancement Services.
“I think it’s going to be extraordinary,” said Thompson, who serves as Professor of English and Coordinator of Secondary Education English Language Arts. “The renovated building will provide awesome space for faculty and students, and the project underscores why I believe in North Greenville. This is where God called me, and I can’t stress enough how invested I am in seeing the university succeed. To see others make that investment as well—it’s special.”
Situated at the highest point on NGU’s campus in north Greenville County, the Donnan Administration Building opened in 1955. It has housed offices for senior administration and business operations, as well as multiple classrooms over the years.
President Fant said the renovation will maintain the building’s historic appeal while creating something new for the future.
“The design restores the building’s original mid-century modern aesthetic and the historic mural while adding contemporary features, translating the entire landmark for a new century of use as a place where transformational leaders are equipped,” he said. “The restoration of the windows underscores the panoramic beauty of our campus and communicates that NGU is a special place, where access and opportunity combine to impact church and society.”
The Donnan/COBE Project was designed by Greenville’s Equip Studio, and is being managed by Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL); Hood Construction provides general contractor services. The project will yield a 25-person conference room and a new office suite for senior administrators, bringing chief executive, operations, academic, and financial officers under one roof.
The College of Business and Entrepreneurship enrolled 490 students in the 2021-22 academic year, which represented 20 percent of NGU’s total enrollment.
The Donnan/COBE capital campaign was launched in 2022 with a goal of raising $9.6 million. To learn more about the campaign, visit go.ngu.edu/donnan-cobe.
About North Greenville University
NGU offers more than 125 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic. Learn more.
