Six new recreation facilities are coming to Warner Robins and they're expected to cost millions of dollars.
Several weeks ago, Mayor Randy Toms and city council approved a bond measure giving the city access to nearly $40 million in funding.
Some of that money will be used on a new home for the city's municipal court and a new fire station, but Toms says the bulk of the funds will be used for recreation projects.
He estimates close to $30 million of the roughly $38 million will be spent on the new facilities, like the one under construction at Tanner Field near the Houston County annex in Warner Robins.
City Parks and Recreation Director Jarred Reneau says bond money is paying for four new football fields at the site. Three of them will be lighted.
It's one of many recreation projects underway, according to Reneau.
A more than 70,000 square-foot gym is being built on North Houston Road.
It's slated to cost close to $20 million and expected to be finished by September of 2020. Among other amenities, the gym will have four indoor basketball courts, a fitness center, an indoor walking track and four baseball fields.
The Tanner Field upgrades will include an outdoor basketball court in addition to four football fields. It's budgeted for roughly $3.5 million and scheduled for completion in October of 2018.
Deloris Toliver Park is also getting new features. By April of 2019, it's slated to have indoor basketball courts, a playground and a splash pad. The project is budgeted for about $2.7 million.
Memorial park is on the docket as well. A roughly $4.4 million upgrade is planned to be completed by October of 2020. It will include an indoor basketball court and athletic offices.
The Sandy Run area will also get some of the project funds. A park is planned to open in April of 2019 that will include a walking trail, boardwalk and pavilion. It's expected to cost about $1.6 million.
Finally, a joint venture between the city of Warner Robins and the Houston County Board of Education is bringing 22 tennis courts to the area near Freedom Field. It's scheduled to open in August of 2019. Reneau says the cost is split evenly, with each party footing a bill of about $1.5 million.
It's a lot of construction, but Reneau said it's badly needed.
"Warner Robins desperately needed something like this," Reneau said.
Mayor Randy Toms said the goal is to modernize the city's facilities, after an outside analysis said Warner Robins recreation was falling behind.
"We were about 40 years behind and $80 million, or $82 million dollars, behind the national average," said Toms.
He said when finished, he believes the recreation facilities will make Warner Robins a destination for sports competitions.
"So many people tell me 'I have to take my son or my daughter to Peachtree City or you know other city's around so that they can participate in travel ball,'" said Toms. "Well, we have that potential here."
If things go as planned and teams start coming to use the city's facilities, Toms says Warner Robins could get a big boost in local spending.
"It could be several million dollars, absolutely," said Toms.
Reneau notes that once completed, he estimates the new facilities will need "another 12 people, for sure" in his department to run them.
Mandy Stella with the mayor's office said money from the 2018 SPLOST tax, set to go into effect in October, will be used to help offset the price tag on these projects.