Henry County to begin renovations of Cochran Park on Tuesday

Henry County to break ground on renovations and additions to Cochran Park on Tuesday. Courtesy of Henry County

Henry County to break ground on renovations and additions to Cochran Park on Tuesday. Courtesy of Henry County

Henry County will break ground Tuesday on renovations and additions to Mickie D. Cochran Park in Stockbridge.

County officials are planning an 11 a.m. ceremony Tuesday at the greenspace, 301 Banks Road, to kick off the construction. The work is expected to take about six months, the county said in a news release.

The around $3.8 million project will include the construction of two full-sized basketball courts, a large pavilion for community events and a two-story concession building with restrooms on the first level and an area for scorekeepers on the second.

It also will include an overhaul of an existing football field, replacement of lights, fencing, goalposts and scoreboards, and creation of additional walking paths, the county said.

“In the time since the park was originally built, the county acquired adjacent property, which we can use to create trails that weave through the surrounding woods,” Lynn Planchon, Henry County’s director of capital projects, said. “Kids will also notice a new playground with an adjacent shade structure. It’s really going to be an impressive set up.”

J.R. Bowman Construction Company will handle primary design and construction for $3.6 million while illumination firm Musco Lighting will install field lighting for almost $200,000.

“We need to think about what parks do,” said Henry Commissioner Vivian Thomas, in whose district the park is located. “They are an opportunity for everyone in the community to have a place to go and relax and work on their health and development.”