In the shadow of Buford High School's towering football stadium, dozens of schoolboys in helmets and cleats run through practice on three new synthetic turf fields on the other side of the parking lot.
The Wolves youth football program -- 14 teams with players ranging from 6-year-olds to eighth-graders -- gathers at the Buford Youth Sports Complex at least three times a week. Players, coaches and parents loiter outside the gates of the $2.7 million facility most evenings, waiting for their turn on Gwinnett's newest public recreational hub.
In spite of the dire economic climate across the region, Buford officials have poured a lot of money into their little champions.
In a time of dwindling resources and increasingly tax-weary citizens, the facility has been one of the city's improbable triumphs. Most neighboring communities in Gwinnett and around metro Atlanta would find it difficult to sell their residents on that kind of extravagance during a recession.
"[Buford is] in a little different shape than most of us," Lilburn City Manager Bill Johnsa said. "In Lilburn, it would be extremely difficult to fund something similar to that."
But in this football-mad north Gwinnett town of about 12,000, most residents see the complex as an investment rather than an expenditure. Their payoff comes not only in the form of first-rate facilities but also in a winning football tradition that extends all the way to the powerhouse high school program.
"If this is what it takes to win, then that's what we'll do," said Maxwell Cunningham, whose 8-year-old son Malik plays linebacker for one of the youth teams. "It's probably nicer than any high school field that we've ever been to."
It's hard to argue with the results. Buford High has won four-straight state Class AA championships and, 8-0 after a 71-point win over Clarkston last week, appears headed for a fifth this year. In addition, all of its sub-varsity teams are also undefeated this season.
Many city officials and residents believe that success cleared the way for the construction of the new facility, which opened in August. The complex features a walking track and concession stands and will also host soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball teams.
The youth sports complex replaced a field along Buford Highway now being cleared away for parking at the city's new $15 million civic center, which is currently under construction and expected to open in the spring. Many Buford residents wistfully remember the old field, which dates back at least 50 years, as the site of at least two generations of high school football players but they also recognized the need for a change.
"It was definitely not a frivolous expense," said Tonya Maiseroulle, mother of an 8-year-old football player and whose husband graduated from Buford High in 1981.
More than half of the funding for the facility -- $1.7 million -- came from an 1 percent special purpose local option sales tax approved by county voters in 2005. Buford provided the rest, using about $1 million in its general fund.
Phillip Beard, who chairs Buford's City Commission, said the city's rosy economic prospects has made it easier to get resident approval for similar projects. Buford, which has major revenue-producing gas and utility departments, had a budget surplus of nearly $1.8 million in 2011 and projects a $1.4 million balance in 2012.
"People know the bang for their buck in Buford is great," Beard said.
Buford is not alone. About three miles west, Sugar Hill has also received positive reviews for Gary Pirkle Park, a 66-acre facility that opened in March 2010 with help from about $5 million from city coffers and another $2 million in SPLOST funds.
Like Buford, Sugar Hill also benefited from residents pleased with the city's financial situation and a citywide desire to provide amenities for an influx of young families.
"If a city is in good financial condition, the pushback really isn't there," Sugar Hill City Manager Bob Hail said. "Everybody at first asked, ‘Why did you do that?' And now we can’t keep the fields free."
Buford City Recreation Director Ken Burge knows the feeling. He said people have quickly come to realize the benefits of the new complex.
"I enjoy watching [visitors] come up to the gate and seeing their faces," Burge said. "They can't believe it. But that's Buford ... we do everything top-of-the-line here."
About the Author
