No to little progress has been made planning the next steps of the Bryan Park clubhouse, which was closed Feb. 8, 2024 for several reasons, including the presence of mold in the basement’s air handler.
“I’ve got millions of dollars worth of road problems in the county right now. That's my current No. 1 problem,” BOC Chairman Jay Paul said. “So an old building at the rec department is not high on my priority list right now.”
Two options have been discussed for the future of the clubhouse, which was built in 1951: renovation or replacement.
“I don’t think anybody has a strong desire or preference for either one,” Paul said. “There’s pros and cons each way. If you demolish it, you lose a landmark, so to speak. If you renovate it, you pour a whole lot more money into it.”
Oglethorpe County Recreation Department director Michael White has called for the facility’s replacement.
“If we’re going to spend the kind of money that it would take to remodel that building, then I personally want something that can benefit everything that we’re trying to do,” White said.
Paul said one contractor estimated a renovation would cost about $200 per square foot. The clubhouse is 2,000 square feet, so the overall cost would be approximately $400,000.
The clubhouse was previously a rentable space for parties and various classes, and White said he hopes to restore that function while also adding practice space for wrestling and cheerleading teams.
“It’s not something that we don’t need, because we do need it,” White said. “Since then, of course, I don’t have a rentable space here at the park.”