When the specific plans for the new Darla Moore School of Business were released in September 2011, the building's completion was slated to finish in a little more than two years.
Two delays and three years later, students can finally use a new business classroom building that eventually lived up its original promise.
In stark contrast to the Darla, the 650 Lincoln residence project designed to house hundreds of students will be completed in a year and a half.
The development was announced one year ago this week is on schedule to move students in Aug. 1 for the fall 2015 semester, as promised.
Compared to USC's more recent construction projects, that's unprecedented to say the least.
So, what gives? Why did it take the business school so long, while it seems that the 650 Lincoln building has shot up without anyone really noticing?
We believe that the answer lies with who was responsible for building them.
For the Darla Moore building, USC took the burden on itself to manage the construction, while for the 650 Lincoln project, the university sought help from the private sector — in this case, real estate developer Holder Properties, Inc.
We think the public-private partnership between Holder Properties, Inc. and USC has led to the kind of construction projects which are characterized by quiet efficiency — the two skeleton structures that materialized behind the Carolina Coliseum seem to have appeared overnight.
We understand that the new business building and 650 Lincoln were built with different purposes in mind and further recognize their locations play a role in how visible their construction has been to the student body.
But as far as we're concerned, in terms of quick, visible results, this partnership has shown that if the demand for housing exists, the dorms will, too.