A project facilitated through the University of Georgia Archway Partnership has helped move forward plans to reimagine the former Colquitt County Canning Plant.
A team of students from the UGA College of Engineering has completed a feasibility study exploring the potential renovation of the former canning plant into a multi-use facility for the Colquitt County School System’s Student Services division. The work gives local leaders a detailed, actionable roadmap for the project’s next steps.
The collaboration began in September 2025, when Archway Professional Sara Hand facilitated an initial meeting between the school district and the UGA student team. From there, students conducted a site visit to assess the building’s structural integrity, infrastructure needs, and long-term sustainability before developing three floor plan concepts tailored to the district’s requirements for office space, storage, meeting rooms, and ADA accessibility.
UGA Engineering students visit the old canning plant in September 2025.
The project concluded in April, when the team presented its recommendations. School system stakeholders commended the students for the quality and depth of their work, noting that their findings provide a strong starting point as the district considers how to proceed.
For Rondesha Williams, Ed.S., Director of Student Services for the Colquitt County School District, the project represents something larger than a building renovation.
“Transforming the old canning plant into a student services resource center is about intentionally meeting the needs of our students and families,” she said. “We are reimagining a space that has long been part of our community as a place that pours back into our students, strengthens families, and supports the overall well-being of our district.”
For the students involved, the project offered a rare opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to a real community challenge.
“This project helped me better understand how engineering decisions tie into real constraints like cost, feasibility, and working within an existing system,” said team member Ajay Singh. “It was a great experience being part of a project with a real-world impact.”
The Archway Partnership, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach, connects University of Georgia resources with communities across the state to address local needs and support long-term development.