A groundbreaking ceremony for the Bennett Park Renovation Project was held on Thursday in Forsyth County.
The project is quite the endeavor with the new park planning to boast:
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Two multi-purpose rectangle fields
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Three baseball and softball fields
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Batting cages
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Picnic pavilions
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A community building
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A playground
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Paved and nature trails
“Bennett Park has an incredible legacy in Forsyth County having seen many changes take place around it since opening in 1978,” said District 4 Commissioner Cindy Mills. “What has not changed, and will now be enhanced, are the memories and smiles made by everyone that visits this park. Some of my best memories are playing church league softball at Bennett Park decades ago.”
Funding for the project is partially paid for by the Improving Neighborhood Outcomes in Disproportionately Impacted Communities (INODIC) Grant, which will provide $2.2 million to aid in the renovation. The total project is projected to cost $25.1 million with extra funds expected to come from SPLOST, Impact Fees and Capital Outlay “among others,” according to Forsyth County.
The grant comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed in 2021 which gave way to the State Fiscal Recovery Grant Program that many counties were able to tap into during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds must be expended by October 31, 2026 and Bennett Park is just one of 142 projects in Georgia receiving funding from this grant. The remaining $22.9 million dollars is expected to come from the land developers through the Impact Fees and taxpayers through SPLOST.
The park will be closed to the public during construction and the park is expected to reopen following the renovation sometime in 2026.
