The Future is Green! Georgia’s Best and Brightest New Parks
The next generation of Georgia parks is here! The Peach State’s up-and-coming parks and greenspaces offer stunning scenery, sustainable innovation and economic opportunity all in one. Here are just a few of Georgia’s best and brightest new parks…
Westside Park – Atlanta
Stretching across 280 acres and serving as a massive water reservoir, this brand-new Atlanta park is making history! The long-awaited Westside Park just had its ribbon-cutting ceremony this past Friday, Aug. 20, attended by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and other city officials. Once fully completed, it will be Atlanta’s largest park—nearly 100 acres larger than longtime landmark Piedmont Park. The park features a huge granite quarry purchased by Atlanta 15 years ago, which has now been filled with 2.4 billion gallons of water that will serve as a 30-day drinking water supply for the city in case of emergency.
The picturesque $44 million park will bring new energy and economic development to the area along with alongside a stream of visitors, serving as a golden opportunity for the often-overlooked Westside neighborhood. With winding walkways and biking trails, expansive open lawns, state-of-the-art playgrounds, pavilions and a stunning overlook, Westside Park is a new staple that’s here to stay.
Gold Mine Park – Sugar Hill
When you think about Georgia and the gold rush, Dahlonega might be the only city that comes to mind, but did you know that Sugar Hill also has a rich history of gold mining as well? A new park is in the works that will pay homage to this chapter in the Gwinnett city’s growth. Gold Mine Park in Sugar Hill will stretch across 9.2 acres, showcase the entrance to one of its prolific gold mines and highlight the history of the city’s gold rush that peaked in the late 1800. And, of course, it will feature trails and greenery galore! Construction is set to begin this month with plans to open the park in Spring 2022.
Rodney Cook Sr. Park – Atlanta
Mercedez-Benz Stadium, the Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center… There are so many iconic landmarks across the Vine City and Centennial Olympic Park areas of Atlanta, and another welcome addition was opened earlier this summer: Rodney Cook Sr. Park. Named after the influential former Georgia congressman, the new park is truly a modern marvel, combining gorgeous scenery with functionality and sustainability.
Spanning 16 acres and utilizing $40 million in investments, Cook Park is specially designed to alleviate Vine City’s longtime flooding problem, an issue that once devastated the area back in 2002. The park features a beautiful stormwater retention pond, rain gardens to help filter storm flow, constructed wetlands and native planting to help enhance the water quality. Next time you’re in the area, Cook Park is certainly a sight to see!
