Friday, October 4, 2002
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Friday, October 4, 2002 |
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CCSU gets presence in Peachtree City By JOHN
MUNFORD
Clayton College and State University's new home at the Peachtree City Tennis Center was broken in with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon. CCSU is offering continuing education courses and small business development services at the facility now, but the goal is to eventually offer college credit courses in Peachtree City. CCSU President Thomas Harden said the Fayette County Higher Education Center will help local residents who don't have the time to drive to the school campus in Morrow. "For busy people, that's a long way to go for a class or two classes," Harden said, lauding the collaborative efforts of local officials for making the center become a reality. "Fayette County ought to be proud of their business and community leaders," Harden told The Citizen. "They formed an effective partnership." Area development officials have wanted a higher education presence in Fayette County for years, but what got the ball rolling for this project was a letter last fall written to Harden by Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Fayette County Development Authority. The Fayette County and Peachtree City development authorities joined the County Commission and city councils in paving the way for the center, along with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, the Peachtree City Tennis Center and Newnan Utilities. The Development Authority of Peachtree City, which operates the tennis center, is letting CCSU use the classroom and office space at no cost. Local development leaders hope the higher education center will become so popular with area residents that CCSU will consider building its own standalone university center here in the future. "This is a very exciting project for Peachtree City and Fayette County," said Robert Brooks, a member of the Development Authority of Peachtree City. Randy Hayes, chairman of the Fayette County Development Authority, lauded the efforts of Virgil Christian, executive director of the Development Authority of Peachtree City for his behind the scenes work to make the project happen. "This guy has been unbelievable and without him we wouldn't be here today," Hayes said.
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