Writer: Baker Owens
Published October 18, 2023
UGA Public Service & Outreach News
The revitalization of downtown Thomson has been one of its priorities since the UGA Archway Partnership™ started working with the community in 2017. There has been a range of projects to improve downtown since then, including the comprehensive Renaissance Strategic Visioning Program (RSVP) with the UGA Institute of Government. Among the many recommendations the community identified during the RSVP process was additional gathering space downtown, such as a playground or additional greenspace.
Thanks to UGA College of Engineering students working through Archway, a full design for a park was developed for the property adjacent to the government complex on Railroad Street in downtown. The Railroad Street Park design was based on concepts developed during the RSVP work with the UGA Institute of Government. Comprehensive plans included a playground, event space and the infrastructure required for a project of this magnitude.
Now, the project is underway thanks to a $2.2 million grant from the Improving Neighborhood Outcomes in Disproportionately Impacted Communities program in the governor’s office. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
“We are so pleased to have received this grant and look forward to continuing to bring new life to downtown Thomson. With the dedication of community members and our UGA partners, the Archway Partnership and the Institute of Government, we have already seen tremendous improvements and renewal across the community and this is another step in those collaborations,” said David Crawley, McDuffie’s county manager.
The park will consist of both passive and active outdoor recreational opportunities, providing a place for friends and families to meet and a central location for socializing and community gatherings. The park will include a performance amphitheater, pavilion, themed playgrounds with 2- to 5-year-old and 5- to 12-year-old play structures, interactive fountain plaza, walking trail, public restrooms, and associated lighting and utility upgrades. Multiple covered structures will be available for picnics and other gatherings.
“The RSVP plan from the UGA Institute of Government helped to put up a frame for this project and work from UGA Archway students helped to fill in the gaps. Thanks to those plans, when funding became available, we had a bit of a head start and were able to take advantage of this great opportunity,” said Crawley. “The new park will be a great place for McDuffie County friends and families to come together in their daily lives but also a great event space that can attract visitors from across the region. We’re looking forward to the first concert at the amphitheater and showing off downtown Thomson to residents and visitors alike.”
The park will serve as an anchor for visits to downtown, with high visibility thanks to its location next to the government center and the heavily trafficked Railroad Street. The park will also be a stop on a planned walking trail in Thomson, dubbed the “Music Mile,” which would celebrate the musical heritage of Thomson and offer a pedestrian and exercise route through downtown. The trail would feature information points about the local music history of Thomson, including Thomson native and legendary bluesman Blind Willie McTell—the namesake of Thomson’s annual music festival.
