Park and Rec sees healthy growth; upgraded landing should open in March

Demopolis can thank the Babe Ruth World Series two years ago for pumping new life into the Park and Rec Department and a new enthusiasm for bringing a variety of activities to the city.

Park and Rec director Walker Reynolds told Demopolis Rotarians that the increase in participation – especially in youth baseball and softball teams – has jumped since the World Series.

“It all stems from the World Series marketing,” he said. “If you want to get something done, you’ve got to get good people.”

Baseball and softball “were on life support,” he said, but the Series “reinvigorated” the Demopolis programs.

Not only those two sports benefitted from renewed interest. Soccer, flag football and coed softball all showed growth. The SportsPlex walking trail sees regular use daily, the archery range has devoted users, and the Ravine Golf Course saw 7,000 rounds played during 2021.

Even with the coronavirus surging last year, the number of cars being counted as they entered the Sports Plex rose from just over 30,000 to more than 48,000 over 2020, Reynolds continued.

Park and Rec also supervises the Theo Ratliff Center. Reynolds said 19,625 students came through the doors of the center last year for tutoring, basketball or other activities. The center also was used as a site for administering COVID-19 vaccines and for mental health programs.

The latest project involves the reconstruction of the City Landing. In partnership with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Recreation, the landing will be able to accommodate 300 boat launches, up from 80 it can handle now.

“There are not any in the state that are bigger,” said Reynolds.

The project cost is being split between the state at $1.9 million, and local funds of $1 million shared by the city, the Marengo County Commission and the county’s Economic Development Authority. Under the agreement, the city will maintain the grounds, and the state, everything else.

If the weather holds, Reynolds continued, the landing should be opened in March.

The director encouraged the Rotary Club members to follow the City Landing developments on the Park and Rec social media sites for frequent updates.