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Jeanne Rogers community center opens; county considers pickleball courts and $3 million Buddy Davis pool rehab
Summary
Parks & Recreation Director Tommy Barton reported the Jeanne Rogers community center has opened and is averaging 30–40 kids daily. The department is studying two sites for 12 pickleball courts, and a design study for a $3 million Buddy Davis pool rehab is underway.
Parks & Recreation Director Tommy Barton told the fiscal court that the Jeanne Rogers community center opened two weeks ago and is currently averaging 30 to 40 children a day. The center houses county programs and partners, including an early childhood development program that began service the prior week.
“We opened 2 weeks ago, and we're currently averaging 30 to 40 kids per day through there,” Barton said, describing staffing, partner programs and a coordinator position the department is hiring.
Barton described completed facility upgrades — interiors rehab at Bunny Davis, a new splash pad at Michael Smith Park and extensive maintenance at Millennium Park — and said the department is seeking donors and sponsors to fill equipment needs, including a PA system for a dance room and computers for a planned esports area.
On capital planning, Barton said a pickleball feasibility study narrowed options to two Millennium Park sites with different tradeoffs: one adjacent to tennis courts with existing parking and shelter potential, the other near the basketball courts and skate park. The consultant proposed as many as 12 courts in two phases; Barton said noise and parking were community concerns and that a third, lower‑cost alternative would be to rehabilitate existing courts.
Barton also said the county is working with design consultants on a Buddy Davis pool rehabilitation; he said about $112,000 has been spent to reach 50% design completion and estimated the full project cost at roughly $3,000,000.
Residents and commission members asked about night lighting, parking impacts, skate‑park expansion and public safety near sites under consideration. Barton said the department will continue community engagement and return with pricing and recommendations.
Next steps: the feasibility and design consultants will produce cost estimates and site recommendations; commissioners expect further discussion on funding sources and potential partnerships before committing construction dollars.
