THOMSON, Ga. — The city of Thomson is poised for a significant transformation with the forthcoming groundbreaking of a new downtown park, marking a pivotal step in the area’s revitalization efforts.

City officials are enthusiastic about the project, which they believe will serve as a cornerstone for rejuvenating the downtown area. This initiative underscores the community’s commitment to enhancing local infrastructure and providing residents with vibrant recreational spaces.

In a collaborative financial effort, McDuffie County and the City of Thomson have already secured a $2.2 million grant, supplementing the $1 million allocated from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds. This financial backing underscores the importance placed on the park’s development and the anticipated positive impact on the community.

The park is set to honor the legacy of local Blues legend Blind Willie McTell, whose name will grace the new community hub. The first phase of the project promises to deliver a host of amenities, including a performance amphitheater, a pavilion, a walking trail, public restrooms, and several other covered structures, all designed to cater to a wide array of community events and activities.

This first phase will include a performance amphitheater, pavilion, walking trail, public restrooms, and multiple other covered structures.

Phase 2 will come later as they work to get funding for playground equipment and a splash pad.

“We do have a splosted allocated surplus funds for playground equipment, so we are planning to just procure that within our own department here. And so we’ll probably take those funds and go ahead and move forward with the playground, rather soon. The splash pad will be the big ticket item that will have to apply for some additional grant funding,” said Chairman of McDuffie County Board of Commissioners, Chase Beggs.

Beggs also hopes businesses downtown will be able to grow economically from this new park.

“When we do have events downtown, our downtown is packed and we have a lot of nice shops here that have chosen to invest in Downtown Thomson, and we have restaurants that are well-established and do really well. Um, so I hope for our local businesses that have invested here that this park will help them to just continue to grow in their business.”

The groundbreaking ceremony for the park will begin at 11:30 a.m. today on Railroad Street.