A flurry of construction activity under way at North Georgia College & State University will drastically change the look of the Dahlonega campus.
"Really the whole look and feel is refreshed," said Mac McConnell, the college's vice president for business and finance.
One of the most noticeable projects is a new $9 million bookstore that will run along Chestatee Street. The building, scheduled for completion this summer, will also house a coffee shop, the school infirmary, an information center and retail space the college will lease out.
The bookstore, along with a new $8.9 million residence hall and a $17.4 million dining hall, were funded through student fees and sales-generated revenue.
The school is also in the midst of completely revamping three administrative and instructional buildings, approximately $16 million in projects funded through state funds. Young and Stewart halls will be completed this summer, with Barnes Hall's renovations beginning soon after.
The current construction is part of a larger campus-improvement project that started in 2008 with the opening of a new library and technology center followed by a student recreation center, parking deck and residence hall.
University spokeswoman Kate Maine said the changes are being made with the express intent to enhance, not alter, the campus' feel.
"It's not just a close-knit community, but it's a very compact campus in relationship to our peers," she said.
"We can walk from one end of the campus to the other in 10 minutes. We want to preserve that feel and we've worked very hard through these construction projects to do just that."
For example, the university is building a new residence hall on the land where Sirmons Hall, torn down in January, once sat. The new Patriot II residence hall will house 264 cadets.
"You have squads, companies, battalions, so the halls are arranged to match the organization of the Corps of Cadets," McConnell said.
Gaillard Hall is also being renovated with private funds and will be home to 166 cadets when finished.
Several of the campus projects center on the university's desire to house more students.
The campus is currently 28 percent residential, but Maine said there is more demand for student housing than the college can currently accommodate.
"Because of the growth we've experienced in the past 10 years, we've more than doubled our student population, our residence hall population has not kept up with that need," Maine said.
McConnell said the new residence halls as well as the larger dining hall and bookstore will help the school feel like a "small, residential, high-quality college."
An updated, modern campus will give the university a competitive edge when recruiting students, Maine said.
"It's not just about where they attend classes," she said. "It's about where they live and the community that the campus provides. And residence halls, libraries, dining halls, student centers are all a part of that traditional college residential experience."