WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, SportsLee leaders have high hopes for Oakland Center

While construction continues, Lee County leaders say they are already seeing signs of economic development from the new Oakland library and Conference Center on U.S. 82 West. They hope it will lead to new businesses and jobs.

Construction managers say the library and conference center is about 70% complete. And chamber officials say people are already trying to rent it, and businesses are locating around it.

More than a dozen workers lay the bricks for the wall of the Oakland Library and Conference Center. The nearly 24,000 square foot building will house a 50,000 volume library, as well as a nearly 8,000 square foot conference center.

But Lee County officials think it will also bring more growth to that region. "I believe the library and conference center is going to be the lynchpin to develop the 82 corridor. We've already spent four million dollars on infrastructure. Sewer and water coming down 82," Commission Chairman Ed Duffy said.

More than 80% of the population of Lee County lives in the Southern portion, so the library will better serve them. But the $5.2 million building is already attracting businesses. A bank is already planning to build at the center driveway.

"The library conference center has been the catalyst of that. In addition to that I've been in negotiations off and on with an investor looking at putting a convenience store adjacent to the conference center. And I hope in the year to come we'll ultimately put a hotel there," said Lee County Chamber of Commerce President Winston Oxford.

The conference center will be able to seat 300 people, and people have already started scheduling wedding receptions, family reunions, and trade shows.

"Absolutely. I've been referring them over to Claire at the library, and she's been tentatively trying to keep up with the little schedule,"  said Lee County Chamber of Commerce Vice President Lisa Davis.

Hopefully the rentals will pay for the upkeep of the center. But officials feel when the economy improves, businesses will grow toward it.

"There are a lot of people looking at Lee County as we speak. Big box people. It's just a matter of time before a lot of our locations are going to be utilized by big box operations," Duffy said.

As the conference center goes up, Lee County officials hope so will the attraction for business development around it, providing jobs and sales tax income to the county budget.

Talking with the managers of Construction CGM, which is building the library conference center, they felt confident they would complete construction in mid- spring. The state provided two million dollars for the project, while SPLOST revenue paid the other $3.2 million.

• Just the Facts on the Oakland Library & Conference Center

445 Oakland Parkway

SRJ Architects Inc.

Lead Architect: Sonya Spalinger
Project Architect: Bruce Richards
 Registered Interior Designer: Beth Schultz
Construction Administration Project Manager: Bob Campbell

Construction CGM, Inc. Colquitt, Georgia
Project Manager: Keith Middleton
Superintendent: Stan Haire

Lee County Board of Commissioners:

Ed Duffy, Chairman
Betty Johnson
Rick Muggridge
Dennis Roland
Bill Williams
Tony Massey, County Administrator
Claire Leavy, Lee County Library Director