Warner Robins is moving forward with several plans to revitalize sports complexes across the city.
The new sports complex on North Houston Road has grabbed the headlines, but city officials are hoping to build more.
At Memorial Park Pool, Bill Brady hopes the city will build a new swimming center, especially for his weekly water aerobics class.
“It'd be good for a year round program, we have a bubble over this pool during the winter months, but an indoor pool would be really great,” said Brady.
The city agrees and a new swimming complex is on their wish list of improvements. At a recent city council meeting, they approved partnering with Parrish Construction Group (PCG) to start the projects.
Right now, the council is waiting on final plans and a budget from PCG to start the project on North Houston Road. The rest of the projects will be approved as they are presented.
One Warner Robins swimmer hopes a new pool comes soon, so her team can start hosting events.
“We would love to host meets of our own, but we are not able to because of the way the pool is built. The edge, we can't put touchpads in and it's too short, so we can't host sanctioned meets,” said Joy Hamborg.
Hamborg just graduated high school and is a swimmer with the Warner Robins Aquanauts. She said she thinks Warner Robins swimming is not taken seriously because the city does not have a pool officially sanctioned to host meets.
She also was concerned more popular sports like football, basketball, and baseball will take precedence over a new swimming complex.
Warner Robins officials want to host all kinds of regional and statewide sporting tournaments and swimming is one of them. It's one reason Councilman Keith Lauritsen says the projects needs to be approved and started.
“Through the quality of life it provides for our citizens and the economic development that will take place because of it, I think everyone will be very pleased with what they see,” said Lauritsen. “It's not a 10-year plan, it's a right now plan.”
The city council says the three planned projects could cost anywhere from $15-30 million. Right now, the city has about $6 million saved from a penny sales tax.
Councilman Lauritsen says they are looking at several funding options to raise the rest of the money. One of the options Lauritsen mentioned was a proposed recreation fee for city residents.
He also said that the complex on North Houston Road could begin construction anytime in the next few months.