Clayton College

and State University's new home at the Peachtree City Tennis Center was

broken in with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

CCSU is offering

continuing education courses and small business development services at

the facility now, but the goal is to eventually offer college credit courses

in Peachtree City.

CCSU President

Thomas Harden said the Fayette County Higher Education Center will help

local residents who don't have the time to drive to the school campus

in Morrow.

"For busy

people, that's a long way to go for a class or two classes," Harden

said, lauding the collaborative efforts of local officials for making

the center become a reality.

"Fayette

County ought to be proud of their business and community leaders,"

Harden told The Citizen. "They formed an effective partnership."

Area development

officials have wanted a higher education presence in Fayette County for

years, but what got the ball rolling for this project was a letter last

fall written to Harden by Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Fayette

County Development Authority.

The Fayette

County and Peachtree City development authorities joined the County Commission

and city councils in paving the way for the center, along with the Fayette

County Chamber of Commerce, the Peachtree City Tennis Center and Newnan

Utilities.

The Development

Authority of Peachtree City, which operates the tennis center, is letting

CCSU use the classroom and office space at no cost. Local development

leaders hope the higher education center will become so popular with area

residents that CCSU will consider building its own standalone university

center here in the future.

"This

is a very exciting project for Peachtree City and Fayette County,"

said Robert Brooks, a member of the Development Authority of Peachtree

City.

Randy Hayes,

chairman of the Fayette County Development Authority, lauded the efforts

of Virgil Christian, executive director of the Development Authority of

Peachtree City for his behind the scenes work to make the project happen.

"This

guy has been unbelievable and without him we wouldn't be here today,"

Hayes said.

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