University’s Jericho Project eyes fall milestone

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Southern Wesleyan University is developing a special needs and disabilities community on its campus in Central. Known as the Jericho Project, it is designed to prepare residents to live more independent lives, according to a news release.

The project will be built in three phases, with Phase 1 scheduled for completion this fall, the release said. Phase 1 includes a 9,300-square-foot facility that will serve as a special needs and disabilities center. J. Davis Construction is building the facility. The Pickens County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs will manage the center.

The Jericho Project is a collaboration of Southern Wesleyan University with disabilities and special needs boards in Pickens and Anderson counties, along with the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. 

“The anticipation is growing as we see this new concept in special-needs service and student mentorship come together,” said Todd Voss, Southern Wesleyan University president, in the release. “Fall semester cannot come fast enough for us to realize this dream.”

The Jericho Project will house 11 residents with disabilities or special needs and nine Southern Wesleyan students. The facility will include one four-bedroom unit, seven two-bedroom units and two one-bedroom units, each with ADA-compliant restrooms, kitchens and laundry areas. The project also includes a meeting room and a walking trail, the release said.