Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Education will participate in a deed conveyance ceremony March 25 at 11 a.m. at the UGA President’s House, 570 Prince Ave. A ceremonial acknowledgement of the transfer document will take place at that time. The official transfer of the U.S. Navy Supply Corps School to UGA will occur March 31 when a Department of Education official signs the public conveyance deed. Later on March 31, a representative of the Navy School will hand over the keys to a university representative.
UGA will use the Navy School property to establish the University of Georgia Health Sciences Campus and plans to begin offering classes in fall 2012.
Program participants for the deed conveyance ceremony include UGA President Michael F. Adams and Dennis Bega, senior outreach director for the Midwest and South for the Department of Education.
As a condition of the agreement with the Local Redevelopment Authority-the entity recognized by the federal government to recommend the reuse of the naval base-the University of Georgia will pay $7,663,502 to the Athens Homeless Property Corporation (AHPC) upon acceptance of the property title. The university had previously paid $250,000 to the AHPC in April 2008, per the agreement. The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process requires that the needs of the homeless in the local community be considered. The AHPC will use the funds to develop a one-stop service center and transitional housing for homeless families in Athens.
In 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense announced plans, under the BRAC process, to move the Navy Supply Corps School to Rhode Island. In 2007, UGA announced plans to apply for the property to convert it to a health sciences campus, which would house the Georgia Health Sciences University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, the UGA College of Public Health and potentially other academic units.
UGA’s use of the property will continue the 120-year history of education on the Navy School site. In 1891, the Georgia State Normal School was incorporated on the property, and in 1932, the school became the Coordinate College of the university for women. In 1953, the Navy acquired the site for use as the Supply Corps School.
