Sports facilities would benefit from SPLOST extension

Published 9:34 pm Saturday, November 24, 2007

MOULTRIE — Extensive renovations to Mack Tharpe Memorial Stadium and further additions to Packer Park are planned with revenue that would be produced by an extension of the current special local option sales tax.

Residents will go to the polls on Feb. 5 to vote on whether to extend the current education special purpose local option sales tax (ESPLOST). The goal is to collect some $36 million over five years.

Much of that revenue will go toward expansions and renovations that would reorganize both middle schools into a middle school, a junior high school and a high school that would serve students in grades 10 through 12.

But a portion of the revenue would go toward athletic needs, including replacing all of the buildings at the stadium, except the field house.

The City of Moultrie deeded the stadium to the school system several years ago. Although there was some discussion of building a new stadium at 214-acre Darbyshire Road site on which Packer Park is located, the school board has decided to renovate the stadium, which was built in 1954.

“From Day 1, the prevailing sentiment has been, with its tradition and walk-in crowd, to keep the stadium,” School Superintendent Leonard McCoy said.

The cost to replace the existing rest rooms, concession stands and visitors dressing room is estimated to cost $1,012,500. The cost of a new stadium could be a much as $6-7 million.

The first project that will be completed if the ESPLOST proposal is approved is the constructing of dressing and concession facility at the soccer fields at Packer Park.

The cost of the 1,400-square-foot facility is $199,395. The work on the soccer facility could be done by 2008, but is more likely to be ready for use in 2009, McCoy said.

Rest rooms and bleachers already are in place next to the three-field soccer area at Packer Park. One of the fields is lighted and can be used for home soccer matches.

If the varsity and middle school boys and girls soccer teams decide to use Packer Park this spring for home matches, a scoreboard will be erected.

Also planned are 12 tennis courts at Packer Park. The school system has not owned its own courts, with the high school and middle school teams using the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation’s courts at the Jim Buck Goff Recreation Complex.

The cost will be $30,000 per court.

McCoy said the school system is considering a “fan-friendly” design that would enable region tournaments to be held here.

The school system also has never had a track and field facility that would allow Colquitt County to play host to a track meet.

An eight-lane track and areas for field events would cost about $844,000, McCoy said.

The baseball and softball fields at Packer Park and the new field house occupied by the football program this year have been funded by SPLOST revenue.

“It is one way that everyone supports our children’s education, including temporary workers and visitors,” McCoy said.

Only five of the 180 school districts in the state have lower millage rates for ad valorem tax purposes than does Colquitt County.

They are Trion City, Pelham City, Townes County, Greene County and Rabun County.