Local officials are making their formal pitch today to lure Atlanta Christian College to Peachtree City.

The private school, currently located in East Point, has plans to increase enrollment to 1,200 students in future years.

The city is proposing for ACC to build a campus from scratch near the northern city limits off Ga. Highway 74. Should ACC wish to move right away, they could hold their first classes in Fayetteville at the East Fayette Elementary School campus in fall 2009.

Should an aggressive schedule be followed, the school's first phase could be completed in time for classes in Fall of 2010 or in Spring 2011.

Matt Forshee, the CEO of the Fayette County Development Authority, suggested that the authority could issue tax exempt bonds for the college that could be repaid over 20-30 years to finance the project.

The first phase of the campus would cost an estimated $30 million, with the second phase at $25 million and a third phase at $15 million. Forshee said that the college is free to develop its own plan but the city wanted to show specifically how the campus could look.

The city provided detailed drawings including a 3-D animation of how the college might be developed on the 25 acre tract that's off the extension of MacDuff Parkway, that is underway and will link with Ga. Highway 74.

The drawings were presented by Historical Concepts, a local architectural firm that met with ACC students to come up with additional ideas of what to include on the campus.

The first phase would include the chapel, envisioned as the building drawing the main focus, as well as residential areas, administrative buildings and a main quad along with parking.

The second phase would include a library, student center, another academic building, residential suites, the rear quad and an athletic field.

It was also noted that the design of the campus was in part to create a very walkable environment along with one that would attract members of the community to interact with the university.

Also, with the city's 90-plus miles of cart paths available, students and faculty could get by without a regular automobile, officials touted.

Peachtree City's main competition appears to be from the city of Newnan which made its pitch to the ACC contingent earlier in the day. After a presentation at City Hall the college officials were taken on a bus tour of the city before a banquet late this afternoon at Peachtree City Christian Church.