The City of Statesboro and Bulloch County will host a joint grand reopening ceremony for Luetta Moore Park on Saturday, July 31, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.
The ceremony will mark the opening of the new swimming pool, splash pad, playground, and volleyball court at the park. Members of the public are invited to bring their swimsuits and enjoy the completely renovated park. There will also be free hotdogs from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. as well as an inflatable bouncy house.
The pool and splash pad area will be open from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 31 and from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 1. Admission to the pool and splash pad will be free during the opening weekend. The park is located at 585 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Statesboro, GA.
The additions and renovations at the park are part of a larger $4.5 million improvement project for both Luetta Moore Park and Rev. W.D. Kent Park. Construction began at the parks in early March 2021 but faced some delays due to supply chain disruption and heavy rainfall. Statesboro general contracting firm John Lavender & Associates, Inc. was hired to complete the project. Improvements at Rev. W.D. Kent Park are expected to be finished by early September with weather permitting. Both parks will continue to be under the management of the Statesboro-Bulloch Parks & Recreation Department.
Prior to the improvement project, Luetta Moore Park consisted of a softball field, little league field, playground, basketball court and multipurpose building. After completion of the project, the park retained the multipurpose building, little league field and basketball court and added a volleyball court, swimming pool, splash pad, bath house, ADA compliant multi-age playground, two family pavilions with grills, improved lighting, security cameras, expanded parking and WiFi access. The softball field was removed to make way for the pool and splash pad.
Entry to the playground, courts, fields, and pavilions at the park will be free to the public. Admission into the pool and the splash pad will cost $3 per person after the opening weekend. Hours of operation for the pool and splash pad will be 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. The pool and splash pad will be open through Labor Day, Monday, September 6 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and will reopen for the 2022 season in May of next year. The pool will have certified life guards on the premises during hours of operation.
Funding for the park improvements is provided through bond financing by the Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) of the City of Statesboro. The URA is a redevelopment agency that was established to facilitate the park improvements and consists of Statesboro’s Mayor, City Council, and five community leaders.
During its last meeting on March 2, 2021, the URA approved a $4.5 million bond resolution through Truist Bank (formerly BB&T) with an interest rate of 1.47% to fund the park improvements. The bond will be repaid through an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Statesboro and Bulloch County. The city has committed $220,000 annually and the county has committed $200,000 annually from the 2019 SPLOST fund to cover the debt through 2024. It is anticipated the future funding of the bond will be proposed as part of the 2024 SPLOST referendum to be considered by Bulloch County voters in November 2024.
