Finally!
After 13 months of waiting, revised plans and a lower cost estimate have been presented for the proposed, new recreation complex on County Farm Road and renovations and improvements at the Ware Street/Yeomans Street facility.
John Stover of Carter and Sloope Architects in Macon presented the revised plans at last Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Pierce County Recreation Board.
Stover detailed the changes made to the original plan first presented in June 2025 and unveiled a revised price tag of between $10-$11 million depending on the final design.
Stover said the long review process was necessary to provide the plan recreation board members and county officials wanted.
“This is your dream and it is planning for the future. We want to design something for you, to meet your needs and not just go with a cookie cutter layout,” he said.
Stover said the basic plan layout is set, and estimated architectural plans are about “50-60 percent” complete. He estimated the project would be ready to put out for bids in the fall with work slated to begin in 2027.
He detailed changes to the design that would match the “wagon wheel” concept for the fields and would line up with the main entrances and parking lots. Adjustments to the walking track, fencing, handicap parking and sewerage were also discussed.
Recreation board members and county officials have said the next challenge will be financing the project.
The estimated cost is about $6 million lower than the $17.86 million cost estimate presented last year.
Sticker shock led to the proposal being sent back for modifications to get the project to a manageable price. The proposed cost is still higher than the $7 million range county officials had been seeking, but County Chairman Neal Bennett said the county commission will work to find funding options.
“We don’t want to wait another six-eight months because if we do, prices are going to rise even more,” he said.
Bennett said he hoped to have the financing discussion at the commission’s August meeting.
The special purpose local option sales tax earmark for recreation is about $3.45 million from the current SPLOST and previous SPLOST.
Recreation Board Chairman Chris Wright has previously said bonds for the project can be secured and a $500,000 recreation grant can be earmarked for the new complex and the renovations.
Wright has also suggested the work be done in phases and that the county look for other funding options, such as bonds and grants, to help pay for the new facilities.
Plans call for the construction of a new baseball/softball complex featuring up to 12 fields to be located on County Farm Road.
The Ware/Yeomans Street project would include an overhaul of the existing park to include new football and soccer facilities.
