DeKalb opens renovated Cedar Park after $2.3 million in upgrades

DeKalb County officials and community volunteers on Thursday unveiled Phase 1 of renovations at Cedar Park, a project they said was completed with $2,300,000 in combined funding from Park Pride grants, American Rescue Plan money and DeKalb County SPLOST funds.

"My name is Chris Bass, and I have the pleasure of serving as your director of recreation, parks, and cultural affairs," Director Chris Bass said as he opened the ribbon-cutting ceremony and thanked commissioners and community partners for their support. He described the upgrades as an investment that makes the park "a place for everyone."

The newly renovated park includes a resurfaced basketball court, expanded terraced seating, a playground provided by Playworks and a pavilion, officials said. Friends of Cedar Park and local designers and contractors—named during remarks—were credited with helping complete phases 1 and 1A of the project.

Lorraine Cochran Johnson, DeKalb County's CEO, said parks are a central quality-of-life investment and emphasized maintenance. "We are now writing over 260 citations per month on average for failure to adhere to code compliance," she said, adding that enforcement revenue is one source the county can use to support park work and other priorities.

CEO Cochran Johnson also highlighted county community programs tied to the parks, including the Embark Youth Farm, which she said was established on more than 58 acres the county reacquired from the YMCA in 2020; she noted the farm operates a greenhouse, 32 raised garden beds and a seed collection available to residents.

Ernest Slaughter, deputy program manager for the DeKalb County SPLOST program, said voters approved SPLOST measures in 2017 and 2023 that are providing funds for local park projects. "Those dollars are helping us to do so much in DeKalb County that has been needed for so long," he said, crediting citizen votes and county leadership.

Representatives of Park Pride framed the project as the result of community visioning and grant support. "In January of this year, Park Pride awarded over $3,500,000 to 19 park improvements across the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County," a Park Pride representative said, thanking partners including the Home Depot Foundation. James Jellin, visioning chair for Friends of Cedar Park, described the effort as the product of an eight-year collaboration among residents, county staff and contractors and said additional phases are planned to expand park acreage.

Director Bass recognized project manager Tim Dennis and park maintenance manager Maurice Coley for their roles in delivering and sustaining the improvements, then invited leaders and community members to cut the ribbon and open the park to the public.

The ceremony focused on completed amenities, funding sources and community partnerships; county officials said further phases and programming will follow but did not provide a timeline for future construction.