The 60,000-square-foot building will nearly double the size of Lanier Tech's Cumming campus, located on Majors Road in southern Forsyth County. The expansion is in response to the school's growing enrollment, which reached record levels in 2008, and the need in the community for new training programs, primarily in health occupations, according to school officials.
The state-of-the-art facility will house most of the school's medical training programs, including practical nursing, radiology, sonography, cardiovascular intravenous technology, surgical technology and physical therapy assisting. A large economic development center will also be included in the project. The economic development center will meet the school's need for a large open meeting space and will also be available for community events.
Funding for the expansion project of $11.2 million was approved in the 2007 state budget. Gov. Sonny Purdue recommended another $1.5 million in next year's budget to increase the size of the economic development center. The Georgia General Assembly has approved this supplementary funding.
In addition to the groundbreaking, the existing Lanier Tech building in Cumming was named in honor of James Harrington, a longtime former Forsyth County commissioner who also served under four governors on the state Board for Technical and Adult Education. Harrington was instrumental in the establishment of the Lanier Tech campus in Forsyth County.
After the surprise announcement, Harrington declared that he was "flabbergasted by the honor."
(L-R) James Harrington, Dr. Mike Moye
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