NGTC Hoyt Coe Renovation Celebrated
August 1 | Posted by editor | News, Stephens Tags: North GA Technical College
Clarkesville, GA – Renovating a building more than 60 years old can be a challenging yet ultimately rewarding endeavor. At North Georgia Technical College, the project to renovate and refurbish the Hoyt Coe building, built in 1954, took nearly four years, but the results are breathtaking.
Funded through the FY 2010 bond package appropriated by the General Assembly, this $6M venture converted a building constructed in 1954 from partially unusable, entirely unsightly, and energy inefficient into nearly 30,000 square feet of efficient and highly effective teaching space boasting 10 new classrooms, a complete biology lab, and the Student Success Center, as well as a suite of faculty offices.
“Every time I am in the community, I meet people who proudly say they graduated from North Georgia Technical College,” said Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson. “This community is deserving of first class facilities, and this is a first class facility.”
The architectural design by Smith Dalia Architects took careful measures to preserve the integrity and uniqueness of the existing building. As the building was originally made with bricks molded and fired from the old clay mine located off Walls Bridge Road, the construction process included carefully salvaging as many of the existing materials as possible. Bricks and stones were reused as walls were removed and reconstructed; internal piping and brick finishes were highlighted within the interior design.
The building was named for W. Hoyt Coe, from Stephens County, who was the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Instructor from 1955 – 1968. The building has housed a variety of programs over the years including, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Automotive Photography, Emergency Medical Services, Massage Therapy, and now general education and a Student Success Center dedicated to tutoring resources for all students.
“The recent growth in enrollment has created a critical shortage of classroom space,” said NGTC President Dr. Gail Thaxton. “Quality classroom facilities are vital to the progressive education we are proud to offer to our students. This building is now a truly functional and pleasant place to learn.”
“I was glad to have to a small part of this victory for the Technical College System of Georgia,” said Georgia Adjutant General Jim Butterworth. Butterworth played a major role in getting the building in the Senate version of the 2010 budget and then the North Georgia delegation worked hard in the waning hours of the session to keep this economically important project in the budget.
For more information on programs of study at North Georgia Technical College, contact 706-754-7700 or visit www.northgatech.edu.
Photo: L-R: NGTC Trustee Mike Haney, TCSG Board of Directors Pepper Bullock, NGTC President Dr. Gail Thaxton, TCSG Board of Directors Dinah Wayne, TCSG Board of Directors Dr. Lynn Cornett, TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson, Adjutant General Jim Butterworth, and Past NGTC President Steve Dougherty.
