VALDOSTA — As Valdosta Technical College makes way for a new building addition, funds made available following a construction bid for the project will allow for even more expansion on the campus.

Plans to create the new facility have been under way since 1999, as student enrollment continued to see tremendous gains and the college steadily developed new programs and course offerings.

“Our student growth has been tremendous. Since 1994, we’ve grown from about 1,700 to 4,500 this year. In the past 12 years, we’ve had 160 percent growth increase,” said Vice President E.J. Harris.

“To satisfy that growth, we’ve had to install five mobile units, and still between 9 a.m. and 2 a.m., we’re above our capacity each day. We need this new facility because, simply, when you’re out of space, it really makes it difficult for you to grow.”

In April, Gov. Sonny Perdue visited and brought the long-awaited news that a new facility for the campus had been approved and would be funded through the state. The project opened for bids shortly, and Jones Construction of Tifton was selected as a general contractor in August.

“The bid came in at about $126 dollars per square foot rather than the $140 dollars per square foot we initially expected. What that translates to in dollars: $12.7 million in cost, as opposed to $14 million,” said Harris.

“We hope that the remaining balance can be used toward the renovation of some spaces in Buildings 300 and 100, some of which will be used for class space, and a few landscaping projects. Originally all these items were included in the big project, but because of the escalation of supply and labor costs, we had to scale the project off. We still aren’t covering the entire project but now we are going to be able to cover the top projects.”

The new 700 building will provide much needed class and office space, while bringing several other additions to the campus to enhance student life. In addition to housing business education services, early childhood programs, and information technology, several other programs will be relocated to the new building along with administrative offices, a new student center and a campus library.

“We’re pleased about the addition of a 7,000 square foot library, which will also help to satisfy accreditation requirements passed down from the commission of colleges. We’ll also have a new student center, centrally located so that it’s accessible to students and faculty. We’ve never really had one of this capacity before, serving breakfast, snacks, and other on-site dining options,” Harris said.

Construction for the project started nearly two weeks ago, as site workers began clearing ground for its foundation. The building is expected to be complete and in full operation by Winter Quarter 2009, and administrators believe the facility will allow Val Tech to better serve students, faculty and community partners.

“We certainly appreciate our local delegation and their continued work to secure this project, and the Governor for all his efforts to include in the budget a couple of years ago,” said Harris.

“The support of our commissioners, as well as Ben Copeland, made all the difference in the world, and of course our former president, James Bridges. He has his thumbprint on this project, and was very instrumental in helping it to get along by providing continued support along the way.”