News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County has begun a remodeling project on the county’s old ag extension building.
County Executive Jimmy Johnson said the county will relocate the adult education and workforce development programs to the renovated facility. Johnson said the project is over 30 percent completed.
“We are housing two groups of people at this time and you got to get everything up to code and this and that,” Johnson said. “It just takes some time and hopefully by the first of the year it will be finalized and we will be finished.”
Johnson said it is still not unclear if the building will have enough room for a third program or office. Johnson said it is important to have this remodeling project completed as both programs provide opportunities to the people of Fentress County.
“It will help them get their education and they will be able to get their GED hopefully and further on if they want to do something else in life after they get their GED,” Johnson said. “Of course. workforce development they have been a big help in finding people jobs and different things in the area.”
Johnson said the two programs needed a building and the county had limited options.
“We had no place to put adult education and workforce development because our board of education needed the rooms to put our educational department as it is growing so much,” Johnson said. “So they needed a place and we had this building that came available.”
Johnson said the cost of remodeling and HVAC work would be in the ballpark of $200,000. Johnson said he is not sure if the remodeling will provide any additional functionality to the building other than updating the building to fit the needs of both programs.
