News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE APRIL 6, 2007

REHABILITATION OF TIFT HALL TO BEGIN AT ABAC

TIFTON—The oldest building at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will be sitting out ABAC’s 100^th birthday celebration.

President David Bridges announced today that Tift Hall, the first building constructed on the campus, will go on inactive status in the very near future so that the rehabilitation process for the three original buildings on the front campus of the institution can begin.

“There is a time and a place for everything,” Bridges, the 10^th president in ABAC’s history, said.  “We cannot address the existing structural and environmental issues with people working inside the building.”

Tift Hall was the original classroom building when the area high school called the Second District A&M School opened on the site on Feb. 20, 1908.   Alumni on campus for the beginning of the year-long 100^th birthday celebration last weekend walked inside the building and pointed out areas where they used to take classes ranging from English to mathematics.

In recent years, Tift Hall has served as the main ABAC administration building with offices housing the president, academic dean, vice president for fiscal affairs, public relations, institutional research, procurement, and human resources.  The president’s office and most of the others will be relocated to Evans Hall, the former health center located near Donaldson Dining Hall.

“Our departure from Tift Hall is a part of a plan that will begin the rehabilitation process for not only Tift Hall but Lewis and Herring as well,” Bridges said.  “When people think of ABAC, they think of the circular drive in front of these three buildings.  We have already started the process to determine how this part of the campus can best support the college’s programs during ABAC’s second century of service.”

Lewis Hall and Herring Hall, the first dormitories on the campus in 1908, sit adjacent to Tift Hall on ABAC Circle.   Students are no longer housed in those buildings but the college will open the new ABAC Lakeside student housing complex in August.  Supported by the ABAC Foundation, the 489-bed complex will house freshman students.  Sophomores will be housed at the 835-bed ABAC Place, also funded by the ABAC Foundation.

“The University System is providing valuable assistance in engineering and environmental work on all three (Tift, Lewis, Herring) of these buildings and with the relocation of offices,” Bridges said. 

Bridges said a welcome center will be added to the front of the campus to house personnel who will provide directions and information for campus visitors.

“Every campus has to have a front door,” Bridges said.  “We plan for this welcome center to be an attractive building that will serve as our front door during the rehabilitation process.”

Plans call for the move from Tift Hall to be made at some point after spring graduation exercises on May 4.

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