project: EVANS GOVERNMENT CENTER / APPLING COMPLEX MASTER PLANS
date: 2006 – 2007
location: EVANS, GA
client: COLUMBIA COUNTY
contact: J. SCOTT HERRING, PE
In late 2006, Columbia County, Georgia began to develop a series of Master Plans with the assistance of Urban Collage, Inc. to guide future facility placement and enhance the identity and character of County facilities.
Urban Collage, Inc. led a space needs assessment and master plan effort for the County’s Evans Government Center Campus. The Evans Government Center contains most of the County’s administrative departments, the County Justice Center, Library, and Tag Office. The Master Plan established development, redevelopment and enhancement strategies for the County’s administrative facilities for the next 10-20 years. The planning process included assessment of existing facilities and interviews with almost 30 department heads to identify future facility needs and a series of campus design sessions with County leaders. The Master Plan has enabled the County to begin design and construction of needed facilities while maintaining a focus on long-term needs and flexibility. The Plan also embraces strategies to enhance the character of the campus and its frontage along Ronald Reagan Drive and Evans Town Center Boulevard.
The County’s Appling Complex includes a variety of office and service facilities including the County Detention Facility, Police Training Facilities, Animal Care and Control, Vehicle Maintenance and the County’s Roads and Bridges Department. The Appling Complex Master Plan built consensus among affected departments and has led to the design and construction of three priority facility/equipment projects (an expanded police training facility, a new fire training facility, and an upcoming detention center expansion). The Master Plan also establishes a direction for the efficient use of the county complex property, maintains flexibility for future facility projects, and includes strategies to enhance public access to appropriate facilities.
