Featured Site in Pro Power Supply’s Pulse Newsletter October 2011
Founded in 1849 as the Forsyth Female Collegiate Institute, Tift College, as it was later named had a 40 acre campus located 20 miles north of Macon. It remained a private liberal arts women’s college, and is especially known for it’s College of Education. Many buildings on the campus are historic, and a portion of the property is listed on the National Historic Register.
In 1986 the college was acquired by Mercer University, which then closed it only a year later. After sitting vacant for nearly ten years, the property was acquired by the State to serve as the headquarters and training academy for the Georgia Department of Corrections. The move consolidated the Department’s locations from five separate locations in the Atlanta area. “Moving our headquarters to Forsyth will position the Department to better protect the citizens of Georgia by effectively managing offenders,” said Commissioner Brian Owens. “Because the majority of facilities are located south of the Metro Atlanta area, the Department will also gain efficiencies through consolidation and reduced travel time and costs.”
The architecture firm of Lord, Aeck & Sargent, led the restoration and redevelopment of the campus and buildings. In addition to the thoughtful restoration of the buildings, a new central energy plant was constructed which serves the new energy-efficient mechanical systems installed in all of the substantial buildings. Backup power was also needed throughout the campus. For one section they decided on a Generac SD350, a 350 kW Diesel Generator with a sound attenuated enclosure to provide quiet backup power. David Pull Associates, the electrical engineering on the project, designed the electrical end of the project including the generator. Working with HD Supply’s facility maintenance side, Pro Power Solutions provided the generator system, which also included four automatic transfer switches. The backup power system was delivered and commissioned in a timely manner and all parties were pleased with the equipment and service.”