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For more information, contact Barb Steadman - 843.857.4199

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – April 15, 2011 – Coker College will open ten newly renovated two-bedroom loft apartments, in the 100 block of East Carolina Avenue, which will be available to seniors, beginning this fall. 

“Adding downtown lofts to our suite of housing options represents another important milestone for us,” said Coker College President Robert Wyatt.

“In today’s national higher education market, which is becoming increasingly competitive, particularly among premier institutions, top students demand a wide array of residential choices and quality downtown college housing has become a highly prized option.  In addition, we believe that our decision to invest in our downtown sends an important message beyond the campus boundaries.  It says, simply, both in word and deed, that the future of Coker College and Hartsville is a shared one,” he said.

Sharman Poplava, president of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce, sees numerous benefits to the growing Coker-Hartsville partnership.

“Hartsville is ideally suited for downtown apartment living, with many businesses and amenities available within walking distance,” Poplava said. “Coker College students will bring additional vitality and energy into the retail and service sectors.  Continued growth of this downtown housing market may, in turn, help spur the development of new businesses and services to meet the needs of the students.”

Each apartment is approximately 700 square feet, includes its own kitchen, living room and bathroom, and will have cable television access and wireless Internet access.  The building will also have a laundry facility similar to laundry facilities on campus. 

The apartments are being made available on a first-come, first-served basis based on Coker’s normal room-draw selection process. Students living in the lofts will be expected to adhere to the same rules and regulations as apply to all of the College’s residents and will be sharing the building with staff from Coker’s department of residence life.

Although the spaces are being reserved now, the extensive renovations being made to the now vacant property are not expected to be complete until mid-summer.

For more information about Coker’s downtown loft apartments, contact April Palmer, director of residence life at (843) 383-8360.  For more information about attending Coker College, contact Coker Admissions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.