The State Properties Commission approved this week a grant of a 65-year lease of property for a library services center jointly operated by Emory University and Georgia Tech.
The Development Authority of DeKalb County previously agreed to issue $26.5 million in bonds to finance construction of the library center on the site of nearly 6 acres, which will be leased by EmTech, a collaboration of the two institutions.
The property, owned by Emory, is located along Briarcliff Road in DeKalb and is the former site of the state mental health institute.
The joint facility will house materials from the libraries of the two institutions, and it will clear space in on-campus libraries for students and faculty.
While usage of Georgia Tech’s print collection has dropped off significantly over the past decade, visits to the library and the use of electronic resources are at an all-time high, according to information from Tech. Moving the collection frees up valuable user space on the campus.