Macon officials, Visit Macon and contractors mark start of Field Number 7 renovation at Creighton Park
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Summary
City leaders, Visit Macon and local contractors celebrated the start of renovating Field Number 7 at Creighton Park, citing SPLOST funding and sports‑tourism growth. Builders said demolition has already begun and fencing will start soon; officials urged community support for upcoming tournaments.
City officials, tourism leaders and contractors gathered at Creighton Park in Macon to mark the start of renovations to Field Number 7, a project officials said was funded with SPLOST dollars and meant to expand the city’s capacity to host sports tournaments.
At the ceremony, Gary Week of Visit Macon highlighted recent sports‑tourism growth and economic returns. "Since the pandemic, we have seen an annual tourism growth of 5 to 7%," Week said, and he credited sports events for part of that increase. He cited last year’s GHSA basketball championship as returning "$1,300,000 in spending to our community" and said "this past year of 2025, sports tourism generated $18,000,000 in spending in our community through 45 events." Week said clustered fields and more facilities help Macon capture larger tournaments and the visitor spending they bring.
Robert Walker of the city’s Parks and Recreation department described the site as the old Field Number 7 and said the renovation will add to the park’s existing five fields, allowing the city to host larger tournaments. "This field, when it's finished, will pretty much mirror what you see throughout," Walker said, adding the upgrade was intended to provide the consistent facilities tournament organizers request.
Walter Stafford, speaking for the contractor team, described onsite work already under way. He said demolition began "2, 3 weeks ago," that the stakes visible at the site mark bleacher and spectator locations, and that fencing work will begin soon. Stafford also shared personal memories of growing up playing Parks and Recreation sports, saying projects like the renovation create opportunities for youth.
Officials explicitly credited SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funding for the project and thanked the SPLOST advisory process. The program’s SPLOST advisory chairman, identified in remarks as Theron Usmer, was singled out for oversight of SPLOST projects.
The ceremony concluded with a photo opportunity and an invitation for the community to come out and support future tournaments. City staff and contractors said they expect the site work to proceed quickly so the facility can begin hosting events.
