Members of the Weatherford and Parker County community gathered under a large tent Tuesday afternoon in the open field on the corner of East Park Avenue and College Park Drive to celebrate the construction of a new residence hall at Weatherford College.
At the groundbreaking, it was announced the new student housing structure will be named Vickie and Jerry Durant Hall in honor of a generous contribution from the couple toward construction costs. The donation is the largest cash donation in the history of WC.
“Friends and neighbors, I can’t think of a better place to put your money than Weatherford College,” said Jerry Durant. “I hope that the people who come to Weatherford College and live in this new dorm will be proud of it, do great things for Weatherford and reciprocate as they grow older in life and are able.”
Quoting the book of Acts, Vickie Durant emphasized while her family has been abundantly blessed it is better to give those gifts back to the community.
“Through these years, we’ve been excited to donate to the college for many of their projects like the nursing building, softball program, the wonderful coyote in the roundabout and the Steinway piano,” she said. “So, as Weatherford College does continue to grow, we will continue our giving.”
The $22 million project is scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2024 and will include 57,000 square feet, four stories and 116 beds reserved for WC Honors Program students and athletes. The new facility will also include a weight room, cardio room, a multipurpose room for activities like yoga and Pilates, and an expansive balcony. It is designed to be expanded in the future.
“Today is another exciting chapter in the distinguished history of Weatherford College,” said WC President Tod Allen Farmer. “Fifty-five years ago, in the spring of 1967, a local construction firm, Jordan Construction, was hired to complete the dirt work of what was then our new Weatherford College campus up on the hill. Today, in the spring of 2022, another local construction firm, Imperial Construction, has been hired to build what will become the premier residence hall in the state of Texas and beyond.”
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