Cook County EDC | Recreation Dept. reacts to ʻexplosion of growthʼ with new complex

Recreation Dept. reacts to ʻexplosion of growthʼ with new complex

The Adel-Cook Recreation Department is continuing to prepare for a new 10-field recreation complex off of Highway 37, near Cook High School.

Giving an update during the City of Adelʼs recent PlanFirst presentation, City Manager John Flythe said the local recreation program started in 1975 with one field and the progression has continued ever since. Two fields were then added. Adel-Cook Recreation ended up with five fields in 10 years.

As of 2017, 1,100 youth are participating in the program. Adel-Cook Rec currently has 45 teams in baseball, softball, football, basketball, and soccer. “We have an additional need of six fields right now,” Flythe said.

In 2010, the community started planning financial needs for growth. The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) allocation to recreation was $2.5 million. In 2016, the SPLOST continuation of funding passed with $2.3 million allocated to recreation.

“In 2005, we purchased 60 acres of land, of which 45 was usable and 15 acres was wetlands,” Flythe said. “With the explosion of growth we have experienced, we had to buy a bigger tract to handle our present needs and have room for growth in the future, so we purchased 108 acres in 2016 located across from the high school.”

Consultant engineers are in the process of being hired to start the 2017 planning. “We hope to have a bid package on facilities in early fall 2017,” Flythe said.

Phase I of the new complex will have six fields, possibly a soccer field, and a walking track. Phase II will have an additional four fields and other amenities to be determined by need.

Construction will begin before all the funds are available so interim financing will be secured with sales tax as collateral. The new complex hopefully will be operational during the first quarter of 2019.

In 2017, the 17U Girls fast pitch softball team won the state championship, their fifth title since 2008. The current Massee Post Recreation Complex has hosted numerous district and state rec tournaments over the years.