Friday March 29th, 2024 6:41AM

New Athens campus for Piedmont under construction

By AccessWDUN Staff

As Piedmont College prepares to become Piedmont University, the institution is working on a new building for its Athens campus.

Piedmont officials said the new Athens campus will be housed in a modern, four-story building at 1282 Prince Avenue about a half mile from the current campus. 

The college plans to move into the new 32,700 square-foot space in early 2021, around the time the institution’s name will change to Piedmont University.

Piedmont’s main campus is located in Demorest. The college announced last week that it had entered into a lease-purchase agreement for the institution’s current Athens campus at 595 Prince Avenue. That property, a former church campus and private school, has served as Piedmont’s Athens home since 2006.

"This move opens an exciting new chapter for Piedmont," said Piedmont College President James F. Mellichamp in a press statement. “Next year, we will have a new name and a modern, new Athens home. The upgrade reflects our transformational growth and emergence as a regional liberal arts university. Piedmont opened an Athens campus 25 years ago. And this relocation illustrates our enduring commitment to the Athens-Clarke County community.”

The new campus is located within walking distance of Athens’ historic downtown district. Piedmont will be the sole tenant of the building.

About 500 students study on the Athens campus and 50 faculty and staff work for the Athens school.  Piedmont offers  undergraduate programs in nursing, business, education, criminal justice, psychology and sociology. Graduate degrees in education and business are also offered. 

Founded in 1897, Piedmont enrolls more than 2,500 students. Last fall, U.S. News and World Report ranked Piedmont among the top 50 regional universities in the large 12-state South region.

  • Associated Categories: Local/State News, Submitted News
  • Associated Tags: higher education , Piedmont University, Piedmont College-Athens
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