Jun. 6—The city of Aiken could be looking toward a known model as it develops plans to construct a mixed-use building in which the Savannah River National Laboratory could rent space for a workforce development center.

Aiken Economic Development Director Tim O'Briant said Tuesday the presumed example the city is looking to follow for the project is how the Amentum Building was constructed and leased.

The Amentum Building — not to be confused with the adjacent Amentum Center for the Performing Arts — is located at 106 Newberry St. S.W. In that project, the city took out a loan and constructed the building. Then, it leased the ground on which the building sits to the Aiken Corporation for a term of 99 years. In turn, the Aiken Corporation leased the building to the Washington Group and its successors.

"It's been so successful," O'Briant said.

O'Briant said the legal structure for the Amentum Building allows the collection of property tax revenue on the building (the city still owns the land) and the Amentum Building brings professionals to the city's downtown to work, eat and shop.

Aiken Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Woltz announced earlier this year plans to use plutonium settlement funding provided to the city by the South Carolina General Assembly last year to construct a mixed-use building in which the Savannah River National Laboratory intends to lease space for a workforce development center.

Woltz said the mixed-use building would be around 45,000-50,000 square feet and house around 100 Savannah River National Laboratory employees and a rotating group of faculty and students from the lab's university collaborative.

The collaborative includes the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and South Carolina State University.

Savannah River National Laboratory Director Vahid Majidi said the workforce development center would allow the lab to have a more direct presence in the community and help with the goal of developing a pipeline of new talent.

He said only computational and administrative work would be performed there. Majidi added the facility would also host some work on non-proliferation training programs and human resources functions. He said the facility will allow for scientific and technical discussions, remote learning and teacher development.

The announced proposed location of the mixed-use building that would house the workforce development center is two properties included in the failed Project Pascalis: the Holley House and Warneke Cleaners.