Spotlight on Troup County

COMING TO TROUP COUNTY IN 2022!

With the New Year just around the corner, the Troup County Manager’s Office would like to provide updates for several ongoing projects that will see major progress in 2022!

The William J Griggs Recreation Center, located at 716 Glenn Robertson Drive, LaGrange, GA 30240, is scheduled to begin renovations and construction this Spring with an estimated completion date of Spring 2023. Phase I of this project will involve expansion of the facility by building an additional gymnasium; creating new study rooms, computer rooms, and an exercise room; and expanding parking opportunities that will eliminate on-street parking.

The purpose of this project is to provide the community with additional recreational and educational opportunities, while simultaneously preserving a facility that has played a significant role in Troup County history. In August, the Callaway Foundation, Inc. approved the contribution of a $2M matching grant for Phase I of this project. The Callaway Foundation Grant will be accompanied by matching funds of $1M from Troup County and $1M from the City of LaGrange, thus providing a total Phase I project budget of $4M. Another project scheduled to begin construction in Spring 2022 is the Oakfuskee Conservation Center at West Point Lake, located at Pyne Road Park. This project has been in the works for fifteen years, and was initially envisioned by the United States Corps of Engineers (USACE) in conjunction with Troup County. The development of this property will provide spaces and resources for fishing, hiking, biking, boating, canoeing, kayaking, camping, and more! It will also serve to host events such as movie screenings, conferences, celebrations, etc., and will offer lakeside nature trails and a wildlife viewing deck to the community. An outdoor amphitheater will also be located onsite.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy organization and an additional partner in this project, will operate environmental education programs at the Oakfuskee Conservation Center in an effort to enhance local hands-on conservation education. This project is funded by a $1.8M “Conserve Georgia” grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), $3M funding through SPLOST, and a generous gift of $1.5M from Callaway Foundation, Inc.

Lastly, Phase I of the Whitesville Road Elementary School Soccer Complex is also scheduled to undergo construction next year, with an estimated completion date of mid-2022. This project is located at 1700 Whitesville Road, LaGrange, GA, and will see demolition of the original Troup County High School, most recently known as Whitesville Road Elementary School, and will involve the redevelopment of the gymnasium and the exceptional education building. $1.5M in funding for the demolition, construction, and redevelopment work at this site will come from SPLOSTS IV & V.

Upon completion, this space will offer three full size soccer fields, additional parking areas, and bathrooms for players and visitors. The gymnasium will be updated to accommodate an indoor soccer area, and existing classroom spaces will be refurbished to serve as offices for Parks & Recreation staff.

Although no specific Grand Opening dates have been set for these projects at this time, Troup County looks forward to updating the community with development progress as we continue moving forward!