Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has signed a $17.9 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Included in the budget was funding for GNTC’s Catoosa County Campus totaling approximately $8,900,000.
“We appreciate the Governor supporting the funding of Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Catoosa County Campus. Georgia Northwestern Technical College has been able to make the progress we have thus far due to the strong cooperation and support of the Catoosa County Commission and Catoosa County staff, members of the legislative delegation, the mayor of Fort Oglethorpe, the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce, Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson, members of the TCSG State Board, and members of GNTC’s Board of Directors,” stated GNTC President Craig McDaniel. “Senator Jeff Mullis led the effort to secure funding for the Catoosa County Campus and we owe him a great deal of gratitude for all his hard work.”
Catoosa County Campus Timeline and Focus
On April 3, 2009, the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners offered to donate 37.4 acres of land to Georgia Northwestern Technical College for the purpose of constructing a satellite campus. The land sits at the intersection of Cloud Springs Road and Dietz Road and is approximately one mile west of I-75.
In the 2009 session of the Georgia General Assembly, Georgia Northwestern Technical College received $3 million to begin the planning process for the proposed 60,000 sq. ft. facility.
On December 15, 2009, the Georgia State Properties Commission approved the transfer of the donated land from Catoosa County to the State of Georgia.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College received the balance of the funding in the 2010 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Governor Sonny Perdue signed the budget that included these funds on June 8, 2010. The funds, totaling approximately $8,900,000, will come in the form of capital outlay bonds.
Once the bonds are sold, probably late in 2010, a general contractor will be selected and construction will begin on the project. Construction on the facility will take 12 to 16 months and the college anticipates occupying the new campus in mid 2012.
In June 2010, the architectural firm of Pieper O'Brien Herr was selected to develop all plans relevant to the construction of the facility.
The focus of the Catoosa County Campus will be on planning programs that will supply the auto manufacturing industry with skilled workers but it will also give GNTC the opportunity to look at needs in health occupations, business occupations, and service industries. The Catoosa County facility has the potential to benefit the entire region.
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