News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-4781 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE MAY 15, 2008

ABAC GETS $6 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR FRONT CAMPUS

TIFTON—Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue breathed new life into the 100-year-old front of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College campus Wednesday when he signed the 2008-09 state budget which contains $6 million in funding toward the rehabilitation of the college’s three original buildings.

“The Governor’s signature marks the culmination of a lot of hard work and persistence by our local delegation of Representative Austin Scott, Representative Jay Roberts, and Senator Joseph Carter,” ABAC President David Bridges said.  “Their influence, support, and willingness have been outstanding in an effort to help this college during its 100^th birthday year.”

Bridges also thanked Governor Perdue, the Board of Regents, the ABAC administration, and all the ABAC alumni and friends of the college in the legislature.  Both the House of Representatives and the Senate honored ABAC with 100^th birthday resolutions on Feb. 14.

Tift, Lewis, and Herring halls were the three original buildings on the campus when it opened as the Second District A&M School on Feb. 20, 1908.  Tift was the administration and classroom building, and Lewis and Herring were the dormitories.

Tift Hall became the last of the three to close during the summer of 2007 when Bridges moved the ABAC President’s Office out of the building for the first time in 99 years because of the structural repairs needed on the facility.

“The rehabilitation of our historic front campus will be a multi-year, multi-phase project that will require public and private support,” Bridges said.  “I can tell you that we have already done a lot of homework.

 “This funding makes its possible for us to complete the design phase and begin construction.  We still have lots to do but I am excited about the possibilities.”

Bridges said a feasibility study, an engineering study, and a design charrette of the front of the ABAC campus have already been conducted. 

The University of Georgia College of Environment and Design sent a team of urban planners, landscape architects, historic preservationists, and designers to ABAC in March.  In a public forum, team leader Pratt Cassity presented a variety of ideas to a very interested audience of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the community on March 30.

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