Liberty County Board of Education members and Walthourville city officials met last Thursday to build "good will" and discuss the progress of the new Liberty College and Career Academy that is under way in the municipality.
Mayor Daisy Pray was given a framed photo of what the new building will look like once completed. Construction is expected to commence in June.
"The presentation was made as part of a larger demonstration given to the Walthourville City Council by me and Barry Sallas of BRPH Architects to inform them about the great potential that will exist for Liberty County’s high school students where they can participate in the programs offered at the Career Academy to be built on the old airport site in Walthourville," LCCA CEO Tom Alexander said.
Liberty College and Career Academy will provide amended program offerings to students at Bradwell Institute and Liberty County High School until the actual facility is completed and opened in August 2012.
The program would offer high school students an opportunity to participate in local employment opportunities in fields such as aircraft support; construction; carpentry; electrical work; graphic design; communications; metals technology; computer networking; computer repair; website design; culinary arts; engineering; engineering graphics and design (CAD); therapeutic services, such as nursing; warehousing and distribution; cosmetology; automotive; HVAC; and law enforcement
Alexander said the meeting was a chance to inform Pray and council members of the major project and addition that is coming to their community.
"We did the demonstration primarily to build good will with the city of Walthourville. After thinking about it, we realized that that was going to be a major building project within their city limits and we thought it appropriate to go to them as a community and present some information on the Career Academy," Alexander said.
The architect company that designed the building, BRPH Architects, and the construction firm handling the project, Parrish Construction, also made general presentations to the board members, Alexander said.
"We’re still on track," LCSS Superintendent Dr. Judy Scherer said. She said the state department of education approved the final architectural drawings, allowing the construction efforts on the Airport Road site to move forward.
Pray said the LCCA is a welcome addition to the area, especially since there already is a college close by — the Liberty Campus of Savannah Technical College — which she hopes will draw more locals and tourists to the area.
"We are looking forward to having it," Pray said. "We’re hoping that it will bring people to the city to enjoy the city and see how many wonderful things we have."