On Tuesday, June 13, Commissioners, city staff, and the media tour three pending park and recreation center improvement projects: Filmore Thomas Park, Memorial Gym Recreation Center, and Frank Johnson Recreation Center. All three projects are possible because of the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).  

Filmore Thomas Park was already slated to have its work begin later this year, but the Commission made the decision to move Memorial Gym and Frank Johnson forward in the timeline from 2025 to this year. The tour of the three parks was to show Commissioners what was done there in the previous SPLOST and what the department and community saw as the current needs.   

“We really wanted to show them what needs to be done and tell them what we have planned for the future,” says Recreation Director Robert Walker. “We have thousands of people coming through our centers and parks every month, and they let us know what’s working and not working, what programming they’d like to have, and other requests.” 

In total, the three projects equal almost $7.5 million in improvements, thanks to the SPLOST. 

“We want to make sure that the improvements we’re making match what the people in the neighborhoods need for their families to stay active, and we want to provide them with the best programming to improve their future,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “Our Recreation Department has so much to offer, and I want to ensure it has the facilities to continue to meet our community’s needs.”