Students at the University of Georgia are set to begin to their second semester of instruction and collaboration in a newly renovated chemistry building. The spruced-up structure is just one part of a multi-phase plan to modernize the research and instruction facilities on the school’s Science and Ag Hill.
The Project Beginnings
While the University of Georgia held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the completion of the first phase of renovations Oct. 30, 2024, the idea for the project stretches back much further than that. After building the Science Learning Center in 2016 and two interdisciplinary STEM buildings in 2021 and 2022, the University set its sights on improving and modernizing the existing academic structures on Science and Ag Hill.
In the 2022 state legislative session, Georgia lawmakers approved $49 million in funding for the renovation of 186,000 square feet of laboratory space between two existing structures in that area of campus. The first phase would focus on Cedar Street Building C, which was originally the school’s chemistry building.
A Modern Space for Research and Innovation
Renovation work, which was overseen by Holder Construction, began in Jan. 2023 and was completed in summer 2024, allowing students to begin using the facility in the fall semester. The initial structure, which had been in use since 1960, was overdue for a renovation.
The process started with a complete internal demolition. The old interior was replaced with more than 100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory and support spaces that have provided a new home for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ entomology department as well as the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ microbiology and cellular biology departments.
The New Amenities and Beyond
Cedar Street Building C now features open laboratories, microscopy rooms, walk-in environmental chambers, plant growth spaces, and insect containment facilities. Meanwhile, the new conference rooms, workspaces, faculty offices, and administrative suites are designed to promote collaborative research.
Phase II of the Science and Ag Hill modernization project, which began in the fall, will include the renovation of the former Biological Sciences Building, now Cedar Stret Building B, which is the university’s largest mid-century science facility.
At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have played a small part in development of the University of Georgia Science and Ag Hill modernization project. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.