The $1.5 million Pedestrian Mall will be funded as a collaborative effort between the Board of Regents, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the ABAC Foundation, and ABAC alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends. The project will be constructed in phases, with Phase I, from the Horticulture Building to just north of the dining hall, expected to be completed by the Spring of 2003.
ABAC President Mike Vollmer said this major project will begin the process of tying the old with the new.
"With over $40 million of projects either planned or underway, we will be able to tie our new projects with our historic buildings," Vollmer said. "In addition, this mall will provide a unique learning laboratory for students of all ages, allowing them to study each one of Georgia's native plants."
The mall will extend through the heart of campus from the front of the Agricultural Sciences Building, which is currently under construction, south to the main commuter parking lot. Along a beautifully landscaped bricked walkway, there will be bike racks and three plazas providing areas to relax, eat, socialize, and study. The central plaza, complete with a fountain and accommodations for group gatherings, will be located where Dormitory Drive and Campus Road intersect. There will also be plazas located at the dining hall and near the Branch Student Center.
Kiosks will provide educational information and directions for students and visitors. Special markers commemorating various facts about the history of the college will be located throughout the walkway. The mall will be landscaped with ornamental plants and shrubs found in South Georgia. ABAC's environmental horticulture technology students will be involved in the design and installation of the landscape materials, using it as a hands-on outdoor lab. The mall will also be available to groups across the state who study plants native to the area.
Another interesting aspect of the mall will be Heritage Courtyard, honoring past presidents and key figures in the history of the college. Alumni will have an opportunity to purchase engraved bricks that will be placed according to class years in the Alumni Walk, which leads to Heritage Courtyard. Bricks can be purchased in honor or in memory of individuals for $100 each. A special price of $50 is available for current students and Quarter Century Club members, young alumni who have attended within the past five years. The bricks are also available to faculty, staff, and friends of the college.
Scattered along the walkway will be areas for students to sit and relax, study or visit. As a way of memorializing family members who have attended ABAC, families can sponsor these areas. The rest areas will include engraved bricks, the family name engraved in a limestone marker, and a wooden bench. For $2,000, families may have up to 20 bricks engraved with the names of family members, past and present, who have attended ABAC or who will attend--or perhaps those who have supported the college over the years. Additional bricks can be purchased for $50 each.
In addition, lampposts, benches, and plazas can be purchased to honor an individual or family. One unique aspect of the mall will be replicas of the ABAC train station, which will be located at the two entrances to the mall. They will provide rest areas as well as directional information.
For additional information on participating in this project, contact ABAC's Alumni Office at (229) 386-3321.
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