Reviewed by: Lacey Muenstermann
Get a sneak peek at Decatur’s new rec center — the heart of the $52.5 million Wilson Morgan Park overhaul
Reading time: 4 minutes
By this time next year, it will be almost time to enjoy Decatur’s new rec center at Wilson Morgan Park on Beltline Road.
Weather permitting, the center and surrounding park renovations could open as soon as summer 2026.
Now, with safety fences up and ground movers doing their thing, many folks are more curious than ever about the details.
Read on to learn more about what’s happening now and what’s to come for this long anticipated development for River City residents and guests.
What’s coming to Wilson Morgan Park
After several years of planning, site preparation began in mid-January for the new center, part of a $52.5 million overhaul of Wilson Morgan.
Decatur City Councilman Carlton McMasters, who serves as the council’s parks department liaison, says what excites him most about the project is the benefit to the public, from improvements in functionality and aesthetics for the entire park to the potential for Decatur’s new rec center to host tournaments for basketball, volleyball and swimming.
Here’s what we know about what’s to come at Wilson Morgan Park:
New community recreation center
- Size: 103,000-square-feet
- Amenities:
- natatorium with a 10-lane competition swimming pool
- four basketball and volleyball courts
- mezzanine running track above the courts
- concession stand with kitchen
- conference rooms
- office space
Overall park improvements
- Amenities:
- new playground
- improved walking trails overlooking Wilson Morgan Lake
- spaces designed for food trucks
- event spaces with seating
Costs + funding
- Project construction cost: $52.5 million, including the rec center’s $45 million, according to Fite Building Group
- Funding sources: 2021 3M legal settlement with the city + a 2023 municipal bond issue
Who’s doing the work + other projects they’ve done
Beyond the details and what you see in renderings, it helps to envision the future by looking at other work the project’s participating firms have done elsewhere. Here’s who’s doing what and a few project highlights:
Architect: Goodwyn Mills Cawood
- Headquarters: Montgomery, Alabama
- Project highlights:
Construction: Hoar Construction
- Headquarters: Birmingham, Alabama
- Project highlights:
Construction Management: Fite Building Company
- Headquarters: Decatur, Alabama
- Project highlights:
What’s missing right now at Wilson Morgan Park
Should you visit for a ballgame or tournament at the still-very-happening ball fields, you’ll notice many other things missing.
Here’s what’s not there, for now:
- two playgrounds
- sand boxes
- two dog parks
- tennis courts
- a soccer/football field
- a softball field
- two parking lots
- parts of the walking trail
While many residents are already missing these features, the city has committed to redesigning or relocating them.
And on that note …
Dog parks moving to Wolverine Park + maybe more to come
The dog parks at Wilson Morgan were popular, and residents demanded a replacement ASAP.
The city’s parks and recreation department has recommended the large and small dog parks be located by Wolverine Park on Point Mallard Drive Southeast, near Point Mallard Park. McMasters says the parks and rec team chose it among options because it provides the quickest solution for now to restore the amenity for residents.
The city council will vote on this recommendation in its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, April 7.
Soon, the city may have several to choose from, he says.
“It’s my hope we’ll replace the dog park at Wilson Morgan as soon as construction is completed. … There is also heavy interest in a dog park in Flint, for which we’re working on an overall plan after a community meeting a month or so ago.”
Carlton McMasters
Stay tuned over the next 18 months of construction for more info as it develops about Decatur’s new rec center and the Wilson Morgan Park project.
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