The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Neighborhood club gets new life as a city park
Waterford Swim and Racquet Club will be renovated.
An abandoned pool will become Dunwoody’s newest park.
At its Dec. 9 meeting, the City Council approved the $125,000 purchase of the former Waterford Swim and Racquet Club, which includes more than 7 acres of land. The Waterford Neighborhood Association operated the club, which included a pool and two tennis courts, before sell- ing it to the city. After the club shut down recently, the tennis courts became overgrown with weeds and shrubs.
“It’s very rare in life that you have a win-win-win allaround situation. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people to make this hap- pen,” Councilman Tom Lambert said, adding that he met with members of the com- munity beginning in 2018. The club did not open this year, Lambert said, because its membership numbers had been dwindling.
“I know they’re disappointed that they couldn’t keep their club open, but I think this is a great legacy for that club,” Lambert said.
The city plans to refur- bish the tennis courts and remove the pool, keeping the remaining green space as a park and trails. It also hopes to install a gazebo and playground.
Located in the northeast part of Dunwoody, the club is surrounded by residen- tial neighborhoods that are lacking in park space, the councilman said. Dunwoody plans to install trails throughout the newly acquired land, connecting the park with the surrounding areas.
Officials have not yet released estimates on how much the city will spend to renovate the park.
DeKalb County Commissioner Nancy Jester secured funding for the park through District 1 park bond money, which was recently approved by the commission. She called the purchase a “really good investment for a really good value.”
An appraisal performed for the city on one of the parcels at the club valued the land at $440,000, more than three times what the county ultimately paid.
Lambert said portions of the park could be open to the public as early as next spring, while it might take a few more months to install the facilities.
Just south of Dunwoody, Brookhaven recently approved the $1.35 million purchase of almost one acre to turn into a pocket park in a residential area. The county contributed $400,000 in park bond money, with Brookhaven paying the remaining $950,000.
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