Warner Robins is preparing to officially open one new park and one renovated park at the end of this month.
The newly renovated Ada Lee park is expected to officially re-open in a few weeks, under budget.
Recreation Director Jarred Reneau says the improvements are already popular.
Kezia Holmes is getting ready for college at Florida Southwestern in a few weeks. She'll be a scholarship basketball player and is taking advantage of the new regulation court on her side of town.
“I think it's a really great job that they decided to do this, kinda upscale everything to keep kids out of trouble and I've pretty much been here, lived on this side of town, pretty much just grown up around here and I think it was a very good idea for them,” Holmes said while taking a break from shooting baskets.
She said it was a welcome surprise when she came back from the college's summer session.
“I was riding by with my mother and she was like hey look at the court, she pointed at the court and I was like 'wow' because, before I had went to college a little over a month ago during the summertime it was still how I always recognized it, kind of old,” Holmes said.
Warner Robins Recreation Director Jarred Reneau says the $94,000 spent at Ada Lee Park has been well worth it.
Since January, they've installed a brand new picnic pavilion and a regulation sized basketball court that Reneau says is the nicest public court in town.
“I know it's been averaging at least 20 to 30 kids every weekend. Some school nights when we go by there there's at least a dozen kids out there playing every night. So it's amazing how they've already started flocking to the park and word's gotten around the community,” Reneau said at his office Monday.
Since January, the Department has opened Walker's Pond, renovated Fountain Park Pool, and is close to officially re-opening Ada Lee after new playground equipment is installed and the parking lot is painted.
In the meantime, Warner Robins' next scholarship basketball player could already be using the new court.
Additionally, plans are still on schedule to open Wellston Park off Watson Boulevard on August 31st, bringing another new park to Warner Robins. Wellston Park will have the city’s first public dog park.
Reneau also said his Department is putting the finishing touches on the Comprehensive Park Plan to present to Mayor and Council within the next few weeks.