More renovations set in Master Plan

GCSU’s latest Master Plan calls for more renovations in the future to help meet campus needs.

Completed in 2005, The Master Plan recommended buildings on campus in need of renovations and specified locations new spaces should be built. Some of the suggested renovations include Ennis, Beeson and Mayfair Halls. The Old Baldwin County Courthouse is also on the list of proposed renovations.

“We’re quite a few years out, but we know the capital projects we’ll be working on,” President Dorothy Leland said.

Under the plan, Ennis Hall will be renovated to house the Department of Art. In addition, the Department would vacate Mayfair Hall, McIntosh and Blackbridge Houses.

According to Leland, the current Board of Regents budget request includes the renovations for Ennis Hall. The funding for Ennis Hall would need to be included in the Governor’s budget proposal and eventually into the official budget that will be approved by Georgia legislators.

“We won’t know until January (if the funds will be included),” Leland said. “I’m hopeful; I know our local delegation will fight for it.”

Once the Department of Art vacates Mayfair Hall, it will be restored into a dual-purpose building. The top floor will be a place for visiting scholars and professors to stay while the bottom floor will be used as office space for the interdisciplinary professors. Before becoming the home of GCSU art students, Mayfair Hall was an inn.

“It’s good for us and for historic tourism in Milledgeville to return (Mayfair Hall) to its original state,” Leland said.

The Old Baldwin County Courthouse will become a gateway between the local community and the university. The offices and services will be those that have significance for both GCSU and Milledgeville relations. The plan suggests housing the Office of University Advancement, University Communications, Enrollment Management and a visitor center in the renovated courthouse.

The exact offices and services that will move to the courthouse are not yet determined. According to Leland, a ticket office will be in the Old Baldwin County Courthouse after renovations.

“Right now everything’s scattered throughout campus,” Leland said. “It’ll be nice to have one office.”

Following the completion of the Wellness & Recreation Center, Health Services will vacate Beeson Hall and move to West Campus. Beeson Hall will become primarily an office space for the College of Arts & Sciences. According to the Master Plan, this extra space will help make up for the lack of office space currently on campus.

There is no timeline for some projects. The plans will benefit both GCSU and Milledgeville.

“We need to bring these capital dollars into Milledgeville because it’s been a hard time in this recession,” Leland said.

Posted by Matt Chambers on Oct 1 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.