Batson-Cook Construction of West Point, Ga., has begun construction of a new science building on the campus of LaGrange College.  The $21-million project, located downtown on the corner of Vernon Street and Park Avenue, includes renovation of the Callaway Science Building across the street.  Completion is set for January 2017.

“All of us at Batson-Cook are excited to return to the LaGrange College campus for this significant project,” said Conn Crabtree, project executive for Batson-Cook.  “We completed a major campus development and renovation project for the college in 2001, and returned for the construction of Frank and Laura Lewis Library a few years later.  We look forward to bringing this new building to reality.”

The new 43,000-square-foot science facility, devoted entirely to laboratories, will house state-of-the-art spaces for instruction in biology, ecology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry and immunology.  Also included are faculty and staff offices, student collaboration spaces and classrooms.  The exterior of the three-story building will blend contextually with other buildings on the campus.

Renovation of the existing 26,000-square-foot Callaway Science Building will commence in May.  Plans call for improvements and upgrades to classrooms, the physics lab, office spaces and the Math Department.  The building will be closed for use throughout construction.

Architectural firm for the project is Earl Swensson Associates, and Chaseco LLC is the owner’s representative.  Both firms are located in Nashville, Tenn.

The Batson-Cook project team, led by Crabtree, includes Jim Meadows, project manager, and Randall Aikens, project superintendent.