Armstrong Atlantic State University president Linda M. Bleicken and Armstrong Liberty Center director Pete Hoffman unveiled a rendering of the new 21,000-square-foot Armstrong Liberty Center in Hinesville at the Hinesville Rotary meeting at La Quinta.
“Thanks to strong partnerships with the City of Hinesville, Ft. Stewart and our legislators, our dream for a new facility in Liberty County is now becoming a reality,” said Dr. Bleicken. “The Armstrong Liberty Center creates opportunities for students working to build a brighter future. It’s a place where increasing numbers of students of all ages — including military students, veterans, and their families — can pursue educational opportunities in liberal arts, science, education and health professions.”
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 located in 10,500 square feet of leased commercial space in a strip shopping center. The facility is expected to open in the summer of 2015, welcoming students for the Fall 2015 semester. Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung serves as the architecture firm for the construction project.
“The new facility will provide increased opportunities for residents of Liberty County and surrounding areas, as well as to the soldiers and military families from Fort Stewart,” said Liberty Center director Pete Hoffman. “Construction of the new Armstrong Liberty Center will help meet the growing demand for higher education options in the Hinesville area.”
The Liberty Center site is adjacent to downtown Hinesville, approximately one-half mile from the main entrance to Fort Stewart. The Armstrong Liberty Center expansion was made possible with $3 million in infrastructure and land acquisition from the City of Hinesville and additional state funding. Approved in early 2013, the new Armstrong Liberty Center will accept students for the spring 2015 semester.
The building will include classrooms, science laboratories and prep space, administrative space, faculty/staff offices, common areas, student services and support areas. The design of the facility will be sensitive to the aesthetic fabric of the existing community and will complement the existing downtown streetscape, while incorporating sustainable construction materials and high-quality finishes that are typical of University System of Georgia facilities.
The Armstrong Liberty Center currently offers associate degree tracks in liberal studies, criminal justice, business and a variety of health profession areas, as well as bachelor’s degrees in liberal studies and criminal justice.
Once complete, the new Armstrong Liberty Center will allow the university to offer a wide range of new programs especially tailored for working professionals and the military.