Officials from across Fayette County on Nov. 7 gathered across from Shamrock Park in Tyrone for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Tyrone Municipal Complex. Work is set to begin in the coming weeks, with the opening in late 2020.

The 20,000 sq. ft. building will house Town Hall, the Tyrone Police Department and the Tyrone Municipal Court in order to better serve citizens into the future, said Mayor Eric Dial.

“The true owners of this building are the taxpayers,” Dial said.

The building will be located directly across Senoia Road from Shamrock Park on 3.5 acres recently purchased from Harlie Deyton, whose home is located adjacent to the property.

The 20,000 sq. ft. building will include a combined 97-seat council chambers and courtroom, various meeting spaces and extra office space to accommodate future growth.

The location will make the new building a centerpiece for the downtown area and, as one citizen put it, “provide an anchor for future development,” said Dial, adding that the town knows of $15 million to be invested in the downtown area in the next two years.

The total budget for the project is $5 million and is funded through a bond, SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) revenues and General Fund reserves.

The wealth of attendees at the groundbreaking were told that the town has been working with the architectural firm Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood (GMC) for over a year on the design of a new building.

Building contractor Parrish Construction expects to break ground in November 2019, begin “going vertical” in January 2020, and complete the project in approximately nine months.