Decisions about where the new Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network headquarters will be built, or when, are still up in the air.

In the works for several years, the $13.5 million project was supposed to be completed this fall, replacing the current building at 4457 Oakwood Road, Oakwood.

“The state has reviewed numerous sites for this project,” said Paul Melvin, spokesman for the Georgia Building Authority.

The main criterion for the new headquarters, Melvin said Thursday, is that it would be built in Hall County, preferably in the Gainesville area, with a site near Ga. 365. Also, the state is looking for 10 acres in a nonresidential area.

One of the reasons the state decided against building on the longtime Oakwood site is that “the nature of the surrounding area has turned residential and is not appropriate for the construction of a new poultry lab.”

Also, the project’s construction budget is $11.26 million and the lowest bid for building at the Oakwood site was $12,775,000.

“One of the primary reasons the bids were higher was due to site issues such as topography,” Melvin said.
The first state lab was built in Gainesville in 1946, moving to Oakwood in 1962.

Over the years, growth in the industry has created space issues at the 12,000-square-foot lab in Oakwood.

At one point, part of the single-story red brick building was condemned, creating even tighter space issues.

And then, because of the economic downturn, the network closed branch labs in other parts of the state.

“We’re really anxious to get into this new lab, there’s no question about it,” said Louise Dufour-Zavala, executive director. “Delays are always frustrating, but in the meantime, we can still provide industry with what they need.”

Melvin said the state hasn’t faced any serious issues with sites under review, but “this project has not been designated for any particular board meeting in the future.”

The State Properties Commission’s board, led by Gov. Nathan Deal, would decide on the location.

Hall County government officials declined to comment.

“Any information is speculation at this point,” county spokeswoman Nikki Young said. “Questions should be directed to the state, because the ultimate decision as to where the lab will be located is the state’s.”

Early in the process, the state was working with Oakwood on a sewer connection to the new building.

Oakwood officials were talking with neighboring Audubon Crest Apartments when the state backed out of the project.

“We had a good $8,000 to $10,000 in legal costs tied up in the (property rights), so we’re going to proceed with that,” City Manager Stan Brown said.

“We realize at some point something will develop or redevelop on that site,” he added. “We acted in good faith ... and we intend to finish up in good faith.”