Georgia Gwinnett College breaks ground on library

It will be the heart of Georgia Gwinnett-College. A gathering place where students study, socialize, snack, surf the Web and attend seminars.

On Monday, Georgia Gwinnett administrators and supporters met with shovels in hand to break ground on the college’s new $28.3 million campus library. It is the first new building project planned for the future hub of student life — the GGC quad.

“We pay tribute to the forward-thinking leaders who envisioned this college,” said Daniel J. Kaufman, president of GGC in a statement. “This library, which embodies the principles of learning and information, will be here for generations and influence the lives of tens of thousands of students.”

The 90,000 square-foot library is scheduled to open in fall 2010. It will have an atrium, a grand staircase, meeting and classroom facilities, high-tech presentation and study areas plus a coffee shop.

A Student Activity Center is slated to open in 2010 completing GGC’s quadrangle. Two existing academic buildings already are on site, one of which houses a smaller library and the executive offices. The cost of the student center will range between $18 million to $20 million. It will house the new cafeteria and student government offices, among other things, said Merri Brantley, spokesperson for GGC.

New facilities are needed to accommodate students as GGC’s enrollment continues to grow. This fall, the college had the highest increase in population statewide, Brantley said.

“We are going to continue to build,” she said. “We are estimating that we will have 10,000 to 15,00 students within the next four years.”

According to University System of Georgia officials, GGC has nearly 1,600 students enrolled this fall, a 98.4 percent increase over a year ago.

“They’re a new school — that’s been a big draw for a lot of people,” said Diane Payne, a spokesperson for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. “It’s a booming population area.”

Soon some of those students will be able to live on campus. The first of five dorm halls is expected to break ground in about two months. The total project, which also includes a 985-car parking deck, will cost $80 million, GGC officials said.