Wednesday, August 28, 2002
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Wednesday, August 28, 2002 |
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"The Rising" to begin for NARA's Southeast Regional Archives in Clayton County
Calling upon the theme of Bruce Springsteen's current tribute to the American spirit - "The Rising" - James McSweeney, regional administrator for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) today opened the groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Southeast Regional Archives, just west of the campus of Clayton College & State University and astride the city boundaries of Morrow and Lake City, Ga. Referring to Springsteen's hit single as indicative of the American spirit at work in the real-life partnership between NARA and the State of Georgia Archives, McSweeney opened a program that included some of the state's most notable figures, as well as the Archivist of the United States, former Kansas Governor John W. Carlin, and Clayton State President Dr. Thomas K. Harden. With the Georgia State Archives already underway next door, and slated for a spring 2003 opening, the federal archives project will begin rising this month, with the initial foundation work scheduled for late 2002 and a targeted occupancy in the summer of 2004. The twin archives projects are a major part of the Gateway Village development that will surround the Clayton State campus on the west and north sides. The two archives buildings also represent the first such model in the nation to combine both state and federal facilities, providing "one stop shopping" for archive researchers. The joint facility will be a high tech, state-of-the-art facility with online access to these records. Following Carlin's welcome to the groundbreaking, Harden, Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox, U.S. Representative Mac Collins and U.S. Senator Max Cleland all spoke enthusiastically on behalf of a project that has benefited from their joint support, and is expected to be a major feature of the Southern Crescent for years to come. "It's a win, win, win situation for Clayton State, Clayton County, the State of Georgia, the U.S. Government and ultimately the American people," said Cleland in his remarks. "This will bring people from all over the world to this great success story known as Clayton State." Also present at the groundbreaking were two more "architects" of the development of the archives projects, former Clayton State President and current Georgia Globe President Dr. Richard A. Skinner, and former Clayton State Interim President and current Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College President Michael F. Vollmer. The Southeast Regional Archives building will be a 115,000 square foot facility that will include 46,000 square feet of stack area space, housing up to 230,000 cubic feet of records dating from 1716 to the 1990s. Clayton College & State University, "Your University" for Atlanta's "Southern Crescent," is a state university of the University System of Georgia, located in Morrow.
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