Orangeburg-Calhoun-Allendale-Bamberg Community Action Agency Inc.’s 4,000-square-foot worker training and retraining facility is scheduled to open by the end of July.

The building will serve as a training and retreat outlet for small business and industry staff and personnel.

About 90 percent of the project is complete, with interior flooring work and exterior paving work remaining, said Calvin Wright, executive director of OCAB.

The building is located on Willington Road across from the lower campus of Orangeburg Preparatory School.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in December 2004. Wright said the project has been delayed due to contracting issues and weather. Orangeburg-based Paragon Builders was hired to complete the project.

The new facility is the result of a community needs assessment study OCAB conducted over the years. The study revealed a need for a training facility and a retraining facility for small business and industry. OCAB officials have touted the location as ideal. It’s close to Orangeburg businesses and industries, but has a somewhat secluded environment.

OCAB purchased the 54-acre parcel of property, formerly the site of the Future Farmers of America camp, partly through a $175,000 grant obtained from the Rural Development Administration.

Technologically, the facility will be hot-wired with 80 stations, allowing individuals access to computers without wiring or plug-ins. It also has satellite capabilities, video conferencing and meeting rooms.

OCAB officials foresee the facility eventually serving as a community-based training outlet for programs such as Head Start.

It is the first part of a projected multi-phased project that will entail recreational outlets, including picnic areas and nature trails.

The OCAB Community Action Agency is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission of eliminating the causes and conditions of poverty in the four counties by developing strategies to ensure a better quality of life for disadvantaged and underserved residents. The agency also operates 12 Head Start centers in the four-county area.

For more information about OCAB, contact the central office at 1822 Joe Jeffords Highway (U.S. 21 Bypass), Orangeburg, 803-536-1027.

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