On Thursday, July 17, 2025, the Douglas Coffee County Parks & Recreation Department celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the newly renovated Unity Park at 625 S. Grady Avenue. City, county, and state officials, past and present baseball and softball players, parents, and community members gathered to join the festivities.
The ceremony began with a welcome address from Mayor Tony Paulk, followed by an invocation from George Hill of the Parks & Recreation Commission. Special guests Georgia State Representative for District 169, Angie O’Steen, and Georgia State Representative for District 176, James Burchett, shared their thoughts on the improvements in the park and the impact it will have with the Coffee County community. Mayor Pro Tem Cindy McNeill concluded the opening remarks by highlighting the importance of collaboration between city and county government officials for the overall benefit of the community.
Rayne Gaston from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources provided a brief overview of the grant, while City Manager Charlie Davis shared project details with the attendees. In closing, Legrand Roberts and Stevie Young commended the efforts of the Douglas-Coffee County team for their dedication to improving the lives of youth and the community as a whole.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Paulk threw the first pitch to kick off the youth baseball and softball games. On the playing fields were members of the DCCPRD All-Star softball and baseball teams as well as the middle school softball team. While the games were underway, citizens participated in a wellness program offered in the wellness area by Jeffery and Dionne Ingram of FLY Fitness. Free hot dogs and Coca-Cola drinks were provided during the celebration.
The improvements for Unity Park included rehabilitating the current shelter, installing new grills, ADA-compliant picnic tables, a new playground system, a Wellness Area with diverse exercise equipment, and revitalization of the basketball court with four new goals. Various sidewalk repairs have been made, and new signage is throughout the park to improve navigability. Additionally, improvements have been made to the fields, transforming them into Little League baseball/softball fields with fencing, lighting, bleachers, shade cloth, and renovations to the concession stand.
This project was made possible by a generous grant award of $278,000 from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, additional match funding from the City of Douglas, and SPLOST VI funds, which will bring the project total cost to approximately $1,600,000. The City of Douglas has been fully committed to enhancing the well-being of its residents in recent years. Unity Park was first constructed in 1978 and has undergone minor renovations, repairs, and routine maintenance throughout the years, but has not undergone any major renovations like this project.
Thank you to everyone, including FLY Fitness, Platinum Steppers, DJ Jovan Jordan, Tifton Coca-Cola, WALB News 10, and all who attended this community event.