Vocational Rehabilitation requests $373,750 in state funds for parking, HVAC and dorm upgrades

Commissioner Felicia Johnson, leading the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation presentation on March 19, asked the Senate Finance subcommittee to approve three capital projects at the West Columbia campus: two parking-lot repavings with new security lighting and replacement of heat pumps at the dormitory used for training participants.

Johnson said the state share requested totals $373,750; the agency would use federal funds for the remaining project costs. The repaving projects are each estimated at $600,000; VR proposed a 75/25 federal/state split and asked the state to provide $150,000 for each lot while using federal funds (approximately $450,000 per lot) for the remainder. The dorm heat-pump replacement would require $73,750 in state funds and $221,250 in federal funds.

Johnson said the campus buildings serve rehabilitation evaluations, technology services, training programs and a dorm that houses consumers and staff during residential training. She noted the evaluation center served about 200 adult consumers last year and that the rehabilitation technology services supported more than 400 clients.

Committee members asked about a separate capital rebuild project for Holmesview (a facility destroyed by fire in 2016). VR said the agency is gathering letters of support and a cost estimate from a cost consultant; prior federal approval is required to use federal funds for construction and the agency plans to submit required documentation once the engineering/cost work is complete.

Johnson said the dorm heat pumps are aging, repairs are expensive, and new units would be more energy-efficient with an expected 15-year useful life. The parking-lot upgrades include new external lighting for safety. The subcommittee did not take a formal vote on the requests during the hearing; VR agreed to supply a timeline for the Holmesview federal prior‑approval application and related milestones.