30 Aug 2011 CBC begins construction on Signature Academic Building

Construction has started and dirt is being moved for the Signature Academic Building at Central Baptist College. 

An official groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at the construction site at College Avenue and Conway Boulevard in Conway.

The design and construction team is comprised of Sowell Architects Inc. of Conway and Clark Contractors, LLC of Little Rock. Construction fencing has been installed and work is ready to begin, pending receipt of the required permits. Substantial completion date has been estimated by Clark as early June.

CBC President Terry Kimbrow remarked, “In February, we announced Vision 2020: A Miracle in the Making — 10 projects, 10 years, 2020 students. We also dedicated the land where we planned to construct this academic building, the first of the 10 projects. Now it’s exciting to see that vision come to be reality as we officially kick off the construction of the new building.”

The $6.2 million Signature Academic Building is the next step in a 16-phase master plan for the campus. It is located on a prominent corner and is intended to be the signature building for the campus. It incorporates some design elements from other facilities on campus in an effort to provide continuity between buildings. It will serve as the standard for future development.

The building is positioned close to the street in an effort to incorporate it into the historic neighborhood. The street side landscaping will be extensive and neighborhood friendly.  Sowell Architects, Inc. Project Manager Liz Hamilton said, "With a total of eight exterior porches, the building opens itself to the neighborhood while providing a pleasant learning environment for its occupants.”

Sowell Architects Inc. was founded in Conway in 1995. The company has designed hundreds of commercial, medical, educational, recreational, banking and church facilities, many of them in Conway and Faulkner County. Local projects include the Conway Chamber of Commerce, Woodland Heights Baptist Church, EM Jeans, TGIFriday’s, Conway Station Park, City of Colleges Park, Antioch Baptist Church, Conway Christian School and the Conway Expo Center.

The management team of Clark Contractors has extensive experience in educational construction which includes more than 2.8 million square feet of educational projects located on 12 campuses throughout the state. Clark Contractors President Shannon Earls said, “We are excited about the opportunity to serve CBC and be part of the team to see this project successfully completed.  We truly approach each project as a partnership and will endeavor to prove that as we move forward.”

Central Baptist College is a four-year, private, liberal arts college owned and operated by the Baptist Missionary Association of Arkansas. CBC breaks ground as enrollment projections indicate another year of record grow with more than 800 students. CBC offers 21 bachelor’s degrees, 19 minors, and associate of arts degrees with several emphases.