“We’ve got about 50 percent of the drawings done,” County Manager William Wilson Jr. said.
He displayed a series of diagrams, including a view of the building from the front and the basic floor plan of the facility, supplied by Griffin architectural firm Manley Spangler Smith Architects.
“We are in the process of designing the footprint for the building and determining space requirements and also looking at (the) site plan,” Wilson said. “We actually have the basic floor plan.”
Wilson said the facility, which has been designed to look like a lodge, will include both the new senior center and the Spalding County Parks & Recreation Department headquarters for economy of scale.
He said this will benefit both organizations - Parks & Recreation employees can take classes in the senior center classrooms, while the seniors can use the Parks & Recreation break room for social events.
Wilson also said the proposed building will have improved accessibility and traffic control due to the stoplights at the intersection of Williamson and Carver roads and Carver Road and Poplar Street.
Steps have been taken to make sure the senior center will also be environmentally friendly.
“We’re trying to be an environment-friendly government with this building,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the building will have a geothermal heating and cooling system that circulates water through underground wells located beneath the parking lot. Wilson said the engineering firm told him that the system would cost $250,000 more than a conventional heating and cooling system, but will pay for itself with increased energy savings in eight to 10 years. Wilson said that due to increased energy costs, the use of geothermal power is more economical than in earlier years.
Wilson also said it is possible the center’s computer lab will be powered by solar panels located on the roof.
Post a Comment