A large number of Coweta County residents joined city and county officials Oct. 15 at a 49-acre site along Ga. Highway 16 in Senoia for the groundbreaking of the Leroy Johnson Park.
Senoia and Coweta County in early 2013 approved an intergovernmental agreement that led to the Wednesday groundbreaking of the new county park situated on 49.4 acres along Hwy. 16 and Harper Road on the city’s west side.
Expected to open sometime in 2017, the park will feature eight baseball fields, two football/soccer fields, a gymnasium of up to 10,000 sq. ft, tennis courts and a tot lot.
Amenities at the park will be lighted, officials said.
The park is expected to be completed in phases and will be accessed from Hwy. 16.
A work in progress spanning years, commission Chairman Bob Blackburn at the groundbreaking said, “The new Leroy Johnson Park honors not only the former commissioner, but all those who have had an integral role in making sports a vital part of the Senoia community. We gather here today because Senoia and the surrounding area continues to grow and prosper. The city and county understand the need for additional recreational facilities for all to enjoy.”
Senoia Mayor Larry Owens said it was an exciting day for the city and county and was the culmination of an idea that began 10 years ago.
Commissioner Paul Poole in his remarks thanked the Johnson family and the other families who”helped get this started. It takes a team effort and this wouldn’t have happened without a team.”
The park project is being funded by the county’s 1-percent special purpose local option sales tax.