Armstrong Atlantic State University has announced that Savannah firm Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung has been named the architecture firm for the university’s new 20,000-square-foot Armstrong-Liberty Center in Hinesville.
“Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung is proud to team with Armstrong on this project,” firm president Eric Johnson said.
“To us, it is bigger than just a building. It’s a place for the soldiers and their families to advance their education. Armstrong’s reach is expanding and, by doing so, will provide more opportunities to the men and women who serve our nation.”
Located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Memorial Drive and Welborn Street in Hinesville, the new Armstrong-Liberty Center building will replace an existing smaller classroom facility in 10,500 square feet of leased commercial space in a strip shopping center. The $3.7 million facility will open in May 2015.
The site is adjacent to downtown Hinesville, approximately a half-mile from the main entrance to Fort Stewart. The facility will be on land donated by and with infrastructure provided by the city of Hinesville.
The building will include classrooms, laboratories and prep space, administrative space, faculty/staff offices, common areas, student services and support areas.
According to a news release, the design of the facility will complement the existing downtown streetscape, while incorporating sustainable construction materials and finishes typical of University System of Georgia facilities.
“This state-of-the-art building will dramatically expand Armstrong’s classroom space, lab space and learning opportunities in Hinesville,” David Carson, Armstrong’s vice president for business and finance, said. “The new Armstrong Liberty Center will offer a top-notch facility for students of all ages in Liberty County.”
The center expansion was made possible with $6 million in infrastructure and land acquisition from the city of Hinesville and $4.7 million in state funding.
Approved in early 2013, the new center is expected to accept students for the spring 2015 semester.
“The new facility will provide increased opportunities for the residents of Liberty and surrounding counties, as well as to the soldiers and military families from Fort Stewart,” said Peter Hoffman, director of Armstrong-Liberty Center. “Construction of the new Armstrong-Liberty Center is very timely and will help meet the growing demand for higher education options in the Hinesville area.”
The center currently offers associate degrees in arts and applied sciences, as well as bachelor’s degrees in areas including criminal justice, nursing, early childhood education, middle grades education and liberal studies.
Once complete, the new center will allow the university to offer new programs in a variety of fields, including programs tailored for working professionals and the military
Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung previously completed the renovation of Gamble Hall at Armstrong’s Savannah campus.
The firm recently designed the Mercer School of Medicine building and the new Beach High School in Savannah, as well as the VA Clinic currently under construction in Hinesville.