COVINGTON, Ga. - It happens every year. Summertime, when the students are mostly away, is a time ripe for renovation and construction projects on school and college campuses. Here is a summary of some of the major projects going on in Newton County.

NEWTON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

The following information was provided by Tom Garrett, NCSS director of facilities. Listed for each school is the work being done, the contractor, the actual or estimated time of completion, and the anticipated cost.

In an email message, Garrett noted that the new light fixtures in the gyms at Clements Middle, Newton County Theme, and Veterans Memorial Middle schools will feature light emitting diodes (LED) resulting in brighter illumination with a 50%-65% reduction in energy use. He wrote, “This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce energy costs while providing an improved playing area for the student athletes and improved viewing for the spectators.”

Replacement of the 20-year old heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control systems at East Newton and Livingston elementary schools will also improve energy efficiency.

In addition to the work listed, Garrett stated, “The NCSS is currently performing all of our normal maintenance and inspection work, including: annual testing and inspection of fire suppression systems in all buildings; testing and inspection of all fire hydrants; and safety inspection on all indoor bleachers.”

*All seven gym floor maintenance projects are being completed by Stevens Gymnasiums, Inc., for a total cost of $23,000.

OXFORD COLLEGE OF EMORY UNIVERSITY

Kendra Mayfield, associate director of programs, reported there are two major construction projects underway or being planned for this year.

First, Pierce Hall is being gutted and renovated. The historic exterior of the building will be preserved and a courtyard will replace the current loading dock, however, the interior will be new construction.

Pierce Hall was Oxford College’s science building, but with the opening of the newly constructed Oxford Science Building it is no longer needed for that purpose. “It will become a multi-disciplinary building with four classrooms, a computer classroom, writing and mathematics centers, psychology and anthropology laboratories, and 33 offices for faculty and staff,” said Mayfield. Lord Aeck Sargent was the architect; Brasfield Gorrie is the contractor.

Construction will be complete December 2017. Like all renovated or new Oxford College buildings, it is expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The second project will be an enhancement of Pierce Street with construction expected to begin fall 2017 and end about one year later. This project will create a new entrance to the College as well as improve car and foot traffic from Emory to Wesley streets. It will include construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Pierce, Haygood, and Whatcoat streets.

GEORGIA PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE – NEWTON CAMPUS

GPTC recently announced the creation of an advanced manufacturing program on its Newton campus. According to Irvin Clark, vice president for economic development and the Newton campus dean, “Renovations to support existing programs, and the new Advanced Manufacturing Lab, are currently underway.”

To help pay for renovations and to purchase equipment, GPTC was awarded $1 million from the Technical College System of Georgia’s World Class Lab Fund.  Jabari Simama, president, stated, “The equipment should start arriving on our Newton campus toward the end of the summer and will be installed shortly thereafter.” Clarke indicated the new program and lab is scheduled to be fully operational this fall.

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY – NEWTON CAMPUS

Spokesperson Rebecca Rakoczy reported in an email message that there is no new construction or significant renovation going on at GSU’s Newton campus. However, there are several smaller maintenance projects underway.