VALDOSTA — Though Georgia Hall has been home to Valdosta State University students for more than a month now, the newest residence hall on campus had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
The $19.8 million facility took approximately one year to build. The six-story residence hall has 191 residential rooms with 494 students currently residing.
Tours of the hall were given and started on the sixth floor in the hall�s multi-purpose room. Tour guide and sixth floor Resident Advisor Josh Williams said the room is used for classes and for events held in the hall.
The windows to the room look out across campus with a bird�s eye view of construction on the new Student Union clearly visible.
The fifth floor study room also looks out across campus, giving students hard at work a brief reprieve from their studies.
The cost of the facility will be paid for through student rent.
Though the dorm�s newness still hasn�t worn off VSU President Patrick Schloss was already discussing the need to build or renovate other halls in the future.
The school has seen an increase in enrollment of more than 900 students this semester, he said, a number that, not to long ago, would have constituted the entire student body at the booming campus.
The growth, even with construction, means the university is still about 60 students over capacity for campus living, he said.
Schloss thanked Juneau Construction and Ambling Development for their continued dedication and work, which is helping to shape the changing landscape of the university.
The residence hall will be home to not only students but the life-changing moments they have on campus, he said. Many students, Schloss predicted, will become engaged on the front steps of the hall; others will make calls home from their dorm rooms to tell parents about bad grades.
Others will make career choices that will define their entire lives within the rooms and halls of Georgia, he said.
Charles Perry from Ambling Company said that the business works with schools and universities across the country but that working with VSU means the most since it�s right in their hometown.
As part of the ribbon cutting, Perry announced a Faculty/Staff Mutual Gift Fund that will be funded by Ambling and Juneau.
Schloss said that when faculty and staff give funds to the university for building construction, scholarships and travel, the mutual gift fund will provide the opportunity for Juneau and Ambling to match the funds.
Newly renovated Reade Hall was also dedicated on Tuesday and houses 96 students. The hall is considered the primary honors student residence hall.
The renovations on the building cost $2.7 million and included preservation of its historical aspects and brought back some of its original architectural features, such as wood floors on the second floor. Laundry rooms and additional bathrooms were added to the hall.
Local News
Related Photos
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Valdosta State University held the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Georgia Hall, the campus’s new resident hall.
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Valdosta State University President Dr. Pat Schloss speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Georgia Hall Tuesday.
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Valdosta State University Student Government Association President Kelli Cody and Georgia Hall Resident Advisor Jamesha Shelton cut the ribbon for Georgia Hall with, from left, Rob Kellner, director of VSU Auxiliary Services, Dr. Tom Hardy director of Housing and Residence Life, Charles Perry with Ambling Company, Nancy Juneau, chief executive officer of Juneau Construction Company, and VSU President Dr. Pat Schloss.
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Valdosta State Univeristy staff and guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Georgia Hall Tuesday.
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One of the recreation rooms in Georgia Hall.
Discussion
A place to live and learn
VSU celebrates opening of Georgia Hall, $19.8M project took a year to complete
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