Work Begins on Soperton/Treutlen Recreation Department Renovations

Work has begun on the multi-phase renovation of Soperton and Treutlen County’s two recreation sites, a project stemming from community needs and community history.

Metter-based TQ Constructors, Inc. began work on the old baseball fields on Ballpark Road and the Soperton/Treutlen Recreation Department on Womack Ave. following a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 19.

The project was a high priority for Soperton’s mayor, John Koon, as part of his initiative to clean up the city. In addition, the recreation department and baseball fields served an integral part in Koon’s upbringing.

“That was the place where I grew up, and everybody knows the story,” said Koon. “I spent many years participating in activities at that park, just as well as everybody else did in this community. It was part of our community.”

Following his father’s passing when he was 12 years old, Koon spent much of his adolescent years playing sports on the recreation department’s various fields. As an adult, he transitioned into a coaching role, and his daughters began playing sports themselves.

“I spent hours upon hours over there, playing ball, coaching ball, umpiring, playing tennis, then watching my daughters play ball, watching them play softball,” said Koon.

Soperton also saw a thriving sports scene at the time, with multiple men’s and women’s teams for baseball, softball and tennis. According to Koon, the fields would host multiple games per week.

“There was always a life there,” said Koon.

However, over time, the fields fell out of use and into disrepair, with the fields on Ballpark Road being effectively abandoned and unusable. The fields’ disrepair also left Soperton without a center for recreation.

With the assistance of Georgia State Senators Blake Tillery, Larry Walker and Representative Butch Parris, the city of Soperton received a $230,000 grant to revitalize the two sites. Work was initially slated to begin in 2024, but was delayed due to Hurricane Helene.

The planned renovations were divided into a multi-phase plan to be individually funded and completed. A map of the renovation plan was also printed and displayed in the Soperton City Council’s meeting room in City Hall.

Phase one will see the restoration and implementation of the tennis and pickleball courts with lights, a new basketball court, the repair of the original pavilion, a shelter for permanent cornhole boards and horseshoes, new walkways and general beautification.

Phase two will see the repurposing of some fields and the replacement of the playground equipment. Plans for phase three have not yet been announced.

“I’m hoping that it will bring life back into that park,” Koon said.

Phase one has been partially funded by the grant, alongside other funding sources and Soperton’s SPLOST funds, and the city is looking for other grant funds to fully complete the planned phase one renovations.