Albany Tech’s Anthony Parker: We’ll be open for business Monday

Jan. 05--ALBANY -- In early October, Hurricane Michael roared through southwest Georgia impacting much of Albany -- including Albany Technical College.

One of the buildings on Albany Tech's campus, the Carlton Construction Academy, suffered extensive damage to its roof, which caused interior flooding and the loss of electrical power.

As a result, six programs were affected, involving more than 200 Albany Tech students. The six programs include air conditioning technology, building maintenance, carpentry, electrical construction, masonry and plumbing technology. These programs will have temporary locations around the campus at ATC.

Classes are scheduled to resume for all students Monday. The college noted any construction student affected by these temporary moves may report to the Academic Advisement Center in the Nathaniel Cross Health Care Technology Building for further information.

Damage to the Carlton Academy, which was already undergoing renovations, is estimated at between $1 million and $1.5 million, a cost would be covered by insurance. The college also has $4.9 million in the bank from the last session of the Georgia General Assembly. Money is not President Anthony Parker's biggest concern at the moment, it's the potential for falling enrollment that worries him most.

"We want to let our students and potential students know we will be open for business Monday," Parker said. "The primary focus is to make this move as seamless as possible for our students, ensuring that our work force needs are met with clean and safe facilities for proper instruction.

"We had more roof leaks after the storm, but we couldn't tell how many until we could get into the building. It's my belief that the storm damage will be covered by insurance, and we will use the funding that was originally set aside to complete the project."

Parker said the temporary move would affect around 200 students.

"We were fortunate that the equipment in the building that was directly exposed to the storm was equipment we used in masonry, carpentry and pieces that are not easily damaged by water," he said. "We had to cut the electricity off because of the roof leaks. We won't know how much damage is underneath the roof and won't know until we pull it off of there."

Parker said his first priority is getting the college back into working shape as quickly as possible.

"We have programs the community depends on that had to be moved to another location where they can operate as effectively as possible," the ATC president said. "We have standards we have set in the 10 years or so we have been in the Carlton building. But it will be difficult and different for a while."

The college's plan will involve moving classes like chess pieces.

The former Albany Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) Building located at 2030 Newton Road was closed when the state allocated $12.27 million for a Regional Youth Detention Center in Terrell County. In November of last year, the state signed the building over to Albany Tech.

This will be the temporary lab location for plumbing, carpentry and masonry programs. Parker said the facility offers more than ample room to house the three programs, staff and equipment until the on-campus location is repaired.

In addition, building maintenance, air conditioning technology and electrical technology will all be temporarily located in Artisan Hall (Building D). Engineering prep academy will be located on campus in the Center for Excellence, IT and Electronics building (Building H) until the repairs are completed at the Carlton Construction Academy.

Repairs of the facility are expected to take less than one year, with anticipation of reopening Carlton Phase I by the fall semester. The college is working closely with the Technical College System of Georgia to secure the financing and to get help with overseeing the project.

Repair on the damaged academy is slated to begin in February.

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