Brenau moves into Gainesville's Ga. Mountains Center

GAINESVILLE - Technically, Brenau University received the keys to the Georgia Mountains Center in downtown Gainesville this past Saturday, but on Monday university and city officials made the move official to the public.

Both Brenau President Dr. Ed Shrader and Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan spoke briefly to a group of community and university leaders in the Georgia Mountains Center Theater.

The 10-year lease agreement gives Brenau University the opportunity to occupy the Mountains Center on Main Street and renovate the building to accommodate its growing health sciences graduate programs.

Shrader said that the lease agreement signed between the two entities represents Brenau's goal of "changing lives," not just within the university, but also in the city of Gainesville.

He estimated that renovation on the arean at the facility will begin in about six weeks.

"We will eventually be the home for about 300 graduate students, 300 doctoral students, in physical therapy," said Shrader.

He said his hope is that the physical therapy students will be able to start their studies no later than the summer of 2014. Shrader also noted that undergraduate programs usually grow as a result of a university offering more graduate studies, so he said he anticipates growth elsewhere in the Brenau community.

Dunagan said the process of leasing the facility to Brenau has been a smooth one. He told the audience the city looks forward to building on what he called a partnership with Brenau.

"We're looking forward to what it's [health sciences program] going to bring to our downtown area; we're looking forward to seeing what it's going to bring to Brenau University."

Shrader said he has a big vision for Brenau's health sciences department, which he said already is the university's largest school based on current terminal degree offerings. He said it's just not all under one roof yet.

"My goal is...when folks ask where's the best place to go for a rehabilitation science degree, where's the best place to go for an allied health services degree, whether it's nursing or gerentology or psychology...when they ask that question about...health science professions other than MD, I want Brenau to pop in their heads just like Emory [University] pops in their head with medicine."