MACON, Ga. — There's a flurry of activity again at the ballfields at Macon's Carolyn Crayton Park as construction crews look to make the place a real "catch."
Last year, we first reported delayed renovations at the softball fields. As construction equipment say silent for months, the weeds took over. Now, they're getting ready for new sod. At Field No. 6, sod is already down.
"We've been working just over a year-and-a-half to renovate this area. We had to do some stoppage due to grass, and get that grass down in time to let it grow," said Parks and Recreation Director Robert Walker.
After a few months of silence, there's now a much different look and sound.
"Triscapes was able to move that overgrowth out fairly quickly. It was more like an overnight feel for me once they got off the ground and up and running," Walker said.
County commissioners approved the more than $1.5 million SPLOST project in 2020. It was only supposed to take eight- to-10 months. Walker says expanding some of the outfield fences to 300 feet pushed back opening day, "Which caused some utility lines to be moved. That is now complete," he explained.
Now that the work underground is finished, Walker says they have a quick timeline.
"We hope to be through with this by the end of July and then be up-and-running for the spring season with softball here," Walker said.
He hopes it will bring the much-awaited return of the Macon-Bibb County Softball League, which has been inactive since the renovation began.
"We get calls in the office every day about either a softball league, or tournaments, or the Flag City Shootout that was once here," Walker said.
They plan to start registration for the softball league in February, with the first games in April.
Mayor Lester Miller says the county already has tournaments with hundreds of teams asking to come play. He says they have interest from youth, middle and high school travel tournaments, but wouldn't name them. Miller says they'll announce those tournaments closer to the date.