A family with deep ties to Clemson has pledged over $12 million toward the construction of a new alumni center, which will bear the family’s name.
Michael and Robyn Nieri, along with their children and spouses Pennington and wife Katie, both class of 2015 Clemson graduates; daughter Maigan, a 2018 Clemson graduate, and husband Rob Lincks; son Patrick and wife Jessica, both 2019 Clemson graduates, have pledged $12.5 million for the soon-to-open Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center, according to a news release.
Located on the shores of Lake Hartwell adjacent to the Clyde V. Madren Conference Center and John E. Walker Sr. Golf Course, The Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center overlooks the 18th green on the shores of Lake Hartwell, according to the release. The new facility will replace the current Alumni Center on Daniel Drive, which has been the Alumni Association’s home for nearly 50 years.
The multipurpose building will also house some of Clemson’s most important programs, including the Class of 1944 Visitors Center, Office of Admissions, Board of Trustees office, Center for Career and Professional Development, Complex Corp., and the Advancement division, which includes the Clemson University Foundation, Clemson Alumni Association and Development, the release stated.
“The reason we decided to give to the Alumni and Visitors Center was that it is a gift to every graduate and every person who will visit Clemson in the future,” Michael Nieri said in the release. “We believed it could have the biggest impact for so many, the entire Clemson Family. And we wanted to do it while our own family could enjoy it as well. The joy of giving while you’re still around to enjoy it is a wonderful thing. If you have a love for your college and your college extended family, you know, there’s nothing better than that.
Exploring what Clemson has to offer
Featuring state-of-the-art technology, the center will provide a multimedia experience designed to showcase Clemson’s students, faculty, programs and facilities, the release stated. It will be the launching pad for visitors to discover the Upstate of South Carolina and explore everything Clemson has to offer.
The Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center, scheduled to open in spring 2025, features 98,000 square feet over five floors with two event spaces, according to the release. The center is expected to see more than 160,000 visitors annually. The building structure is a hybrid of traditional structural steel in mass-timber, carried through the central lobby areas on all floors. Electrochromic glass will automatically tint based on the outdoor sun and time of day, providing optimal building efficiency and minimizing the need for window treatments.
The ground floor is home to the Walker Course’s new club house and pro-shop, which includes expanded retail sales space plus men’s and women’s locker rooms, according to the release.
The first level includes the main entrance to the building, according to the release. It will be home to the main reception desk, Class of 1944 Visitors Center, Clemson Alumni Association offices, Visitors Center Auditorium and Engagement Room. The main lobby is two levels with a grand staircase leading from level 1 to level 2. The lobby will include a number of digital/electronic branding components celebrating the Clemson experience, philanthropy and highlighting seasonal activities in the area. Several digital displays will be interactive including a Clemson Ring display.
The second level will be home to the Center for Career and Professional Development and admissions offices, the release stated. The Career Center serves upperclassmen as they seek to start their careers. Level 3 houses the Advancement division of the University and the Clemson University Foundation offices. Level 4 will be home to the offices for the Board of Trustees support staff and multi-purpose event spaces. The multi-purpose event space will be used for Board of Trustees meetings. Also included on the fourth floor are two rooftop terraces offering views of the Clemson campus, Lake Hartwell and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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Increased parking, an outdoor loggia, level 1 patio and a Clemson Ring experience will be a part of the exterior additions. The building represents more than $50 million in construction investment by Clemson University, the release stated. Design work began in the summer of 2020, and construction started in the spring of 2022. The architect-of-record is Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood of Greenville, and GMC’s consulting architect is Cooper Carry from Atlanta. Construction manager is Brasfield & Gorrie.
About the Nieri family
Michael Nieri, who graduated from Clemson in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in construction science and management, is one of America’s leading homebuilding entrepreneurs, according to the release. He founded Irmo-based Great Southern Homes in 2004. In 2023, he took the company public to become United Homes Group. One year later, United Homes Group won the 2024 Builder of the Year Award from BUILDER Magazine.
He was inducted into the S.C. Housing Hall of Fame in 2018 and was twice recognized as Builder of the Year by the Building Industry Association, according to the release. In 2020, he received BUILDER magazine’s Hearthstone Humanitarian Award, a national recognition honoring homebuilders who demonstrate a lifetime commitment to public service. He is a past president of the BIA Charitable Foundation. In 2021, Nieri received the Clemson Alumni Association’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award.
Robyn Nieri graduated from East Carolina University in 1989 with a child development and family relations degree while minoring in child psychology and social welfare, according to the release. She began her career as the director of several of the Columbia-based GLEAMNS Head Start centers, a community organization designed to assist low-income individuals and families in achieving and maintaining self-sufficiency. The Clemson Alumni Association honored her in 2020 with the designation of Honorary Alumna of Clemson University.
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