New Park in Henry County to be Gateway into Fairview Commercial Corridor Plans for a new park in District 5 have switched gears slightly, with Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes announcing that a new parcel of land will be purchased, replacing the proposed site of what was going to be Bellamy Brothers Memorial Park. Holmes said he made the decision based on several factors, including the fact that the former site has not yet been vacated, along with the incentive of saving taxpayers money by purchasing 23 of the proposed 35 acres from the Henry County Board of Education, resulting in a savings of $20,000 per acre on that part of the land, compared to the purchase price of the original tract of land. “The money that we pay for the school district’s land will go back into the coffers of the school system and allow them to remodel and enhance the facilities they already have,” said Commissioner Holmes. He added that another huge benefit is that an environmental study has already been completed on the land by the BOE, saving taxpayers both time and money in seeing this SPLOST IV project to completion. The site of the new park is located at Cook and Fairview roads and extends down to Anvil Block and Fairview Road, encompassing nearly 35 acres of land. The new, larger park site will allow for all of the previously planned amenities, which already included two full-sized fields to be utilized for various sports in different seasons, as well as feature volleyball courts, walking trails, pavilions, a playground and a splash pad with fountain, along with additional soccer and lacrosse fields and extra running and walking trails throughout the park. The new park is expected to revitalize the area in terms of both economic growth and beauty by creating a venue that will attract tournaments and large sporting events to the north side of Henry County. “The location is perfect as it will be a gateway into the Fairview Commercial Corridor from I-675 and the Fort Gillem redevelopment,” said Holmes. “The new park will also be located closer to the new medical-retail development and adds to the area aesthetically, making the area even more appealing to potential business parks and companies looking to locate in North Henry.” Holmes expects the County to close on the property by mid-January.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 18:11:36 +0000