New campus housing construction kicks off

By Elizabeth Cone
Staff Writer

The construction of the new housing facilities has begun. A groundbreaking ceremony was held last Friday to officially kick off the new housing project.
With Parkhurst Apartments now demolished, construction in the Centennial area of campus is underway. Two suite-style residence halls will replace Parkhurst Apartments. A construction fence will soon be up around the construction site by Wells Hall.
“This will impact people in the area,” Dr. Paul Jahr, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of University Housing, said. “Once the construction fence is up, it’s going to limit access to the Centennial area.”
Jahr added that people need to be careful around the construction site.
“One request, for safety, would be not to go in the construction area,” Jahr said. “Everyone needs to be aware of vehicles coming in and out of the site.”
The construction of the Centennial area, according to Jahr, probably will not be finished until August 2004. Phase I of the construction should be completed by December 2002. Students living in Adams, Wells, Sanford and Terrell Halls at the time Phase I is completed will move to the new suites. Once those residence halls are vacated, Adams and Wells will be replaced with two new housing buildings. Sanford Hall will be renovated.
Construction has also started on West Campus. Three apartment buildings, a community center and a pool will be completed by December 2002.
Students interested in living in these apartments next school year will have a place to reside until the construction is completed.
“We’re offering a program if upper classman sign up, they will spend the first semester in one of two hotels and then move into the new buildings hopefully in December,” Jahr said.
The entire housing program facilities, when completed, will cost approximately $58 million. Ambling Companies of Valdosta, Georgia, is doing the construction of the new housing project.
“This is obviously a very exciting time at GC&SU,” Jahr said.
If you have any questions regarding the new housing plans, please stop by the University Housing Office, located on the ground floor of Beeson Hall, behind Arts and Sciences.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 12 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry