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Covington Family YMCA Outdoor Center

Project Type: 
Community Park and Recreation Center

Project Size: 28.02 acres

Georgia Civil’s Scope:  Construction Documents and Permitting of a Recreation Complex  - Permitted through Newton County

Project Challenge

When the Covington Branch of the Metro Atlanta YMCA decided that its community was in need of an outdoor center, the organization turned to Sunbelt Builders and Georgia Civil.  As is the case for many non-profit service organizations, funding is tight, and every penny is precious.  Because of budget constraints and projected usage patterns, the YMCA Outdoor Center required careful attention to value engineering and thoughtful planning to phase the project appropriately.  The goal of the Covington Outdoor Center management team was to provide an open-air pavilion, four soccer/multi-use fields, six tennis courts, a children’s playground, a padded area for future expansion, and the associated restrooms, parking, and utility infrastructure.

Design Challenges:

Owner was working with very tight design and construction budget

Phased Project

Substantial screening requirements as a condition of zoning

Georgia Civil’s Solutions

Georgia Civil’s experience with the YMCA Outdoor Center exposed a need in the development community for discount services for non-profit, non-government organizations, whose primary focus is promotion of the greater good.  The design team at Georgia Civil has been blessed by many of these organizations and sees this initiative as an opportunity to give back in a small way.

Georgia Civil completed the design work for the project at a fraction of the cost of typical design fees.  The design team also arranged the components of the site to minimize storm water infrastructure by taking advantage of existing drainage patterns to control run-off.  In addition, Georgia Civil designed the detention pond to account for future expansion of the center, which eliminates the need to modify storm water infrastructure at a later date.

Finally, Georgia Civil worked with the Newton County Arborist to construct a series of planted berms along Stone Road to minimize visibility into the park from the adjacent residential properties.  The Landscape Architecture Division of Georgia Civil, layered various trees and shrubs to provide an aesthetically pleasing view for the neighbors and a prominent site entrance. 

For more information on Georgia Civil’s Design solutions for the Greater Good, please click here.