When Governor Nathan Deal signed his name to House Bill 684 on Wednesday afternoon at the Henry Tift Myers Airport in Tifton, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College President David Bridges knew an important part of his long-range plan for the physical face of ABAC was about to kick into high gear.

HB 684 is the Fiscal Year 2019 state budget which contains $17.7 million in funding for a new Fine Arts building at ABAC and rehabilitation of the Carlton Library. It’s no wonder that Bridges had a big grin on his face before the ink dried on Deal’s signature.

“We have needed a Fine Arts building on this campus for a long time,” Bridges, the longest serving president among the 26 colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia, said. “Our music program is second to none, and those students deserve a first-rate facility.

“The Carlton renovation will allow us to take advantage of a large space which is presently under-utilized. Moving the campus store operation to Carlton opens all kinds of possibilities. Student engagement is the name of the game.”

ABAC received $1.6 million in design funds for the Fine Arts building and the Carlton renovation in the FY 18 state budget.  To complete the $21.4 million project, Bridges is hoping for $2.1 million in funding for equipment for the two buildings in the FY 20 state budget.

“We have come a long way on this project, and I cannot say thank you enough to Governor Deal and all the members of the General Assembly who made this happen,” Bridges said.  “Our Historic Front Campus Renovation in 2013 changed the look of our ‘front door’ at ABAC, and the Fine Arts building will complete our long-range plan for Sweetheart Circle.”

Director of Capital Planning Melvin Merrill said the 24,000-square foot Fine Arts building will be located at the south end of ABAC Circle, traditionally called “Sweetheart Circle,” on the front of the campus and will perfectly complement the Health Sciences Building located at the north end of ABAC Circle.

“The building will have practice space for a 100-plus member orchestra and space for an 80-plus member vocal group,” Merrill said. “There will also be individual practice rooms which are acoustically controlled.”

The projected plan for the first floor of the building includes the band rehearsal room, instrument storage, the band and choral music library, the choral rehearsal room, band and choral storage, music faculty offices, and a keyboard laboratory.

The second floor will feature individual music practice rooms, a recording control room, art faculty offices, painting/general art labs, visual arts material storage, student work storage, a display area, and a computer design lab. Music students will have easy access to nearby Howard Auditorium, the concert venue for the choral program, the jazz band, and the concert band.

Tentative plans for the rehabilitated 61,000-square foot Carlton Library call for it to be the home for student academic support, the bookstore, the mail room, information technology, offices of the Dean of Students, Veterans’ Lounge, archives, the Student Government Association offices, the library, reading and study areas, computer lab, One Button Studio, the Student Engagement Programs Center, symposium/exhibit space, the Academic Success Center, campus media, and student development.

ABAC Project Manager Tim Carpenter said Praxis 3 Architecture from Atlanta is designing the Carlton Library, and JMA Architecture from Perry is designing the Fine Arts building.  All State Construction Co. from Perry is the contractor on both projects. Jones, Lang, and LaSalle will be the project manager.
 Carpenter said construction should begin by January of 2019 with completion scheduled for January of 2020.  All occupants of the Carlton Center will be relocated.

“Carlton will be closed for at least three semesters,” Carpenter said.  “We have already spent a lot of time finding temporary space for everyone in that building.”