Henderson Gym replacement project under way in south Albany

By Alan Mauldin

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ALBANY – When the Henderson Gym was completed in south Albany, Jimmy Carter was the president and the city was a much different place than it is today.

For nearly 50 years, Albany youngsters have shot hoops in the facility and used it as a hangout, But now city officials are saying the aging structure has reached the end of its lifespan. 

On Tuesday, those officials turned a few shovelsful of dirt to celebrate the next chapter at the gym’s Willard Avenue location. It is one of several recreation projects in the works for the city.

Over the next year, a $9 million, 17,000-square-foot facility is slated to rise to replace the old building.

“This building has meant a lot for this community since 1977 or 1978,” Mayor Bo Dorough said prior to the groundbreaking ceremony. “I think we need to understand these facilities have outlived their useful lives, and they need to be replaced.

“I agreed we need to tear these facilities down to build amenities for the future of Albany, to make an investment in these areas that had been neglected.”

The facility will include not only basketball courts but also a community center, community garden outside, space for after-school programs and a room dedicated to adult activities. 

“Not only is this going to enlarge the appearance (and) quality of life for south Albany, it will serve as a beacon (that) our city is committed to our citizens and our city is looking forward to the future of our community,” the mayor said. 

When he was on the commission years ago, Dorough said, recreation was often one of the last spending priorities and one of the first items cut when budgets were tight. With the support of the commission, that has changed, and Tuesday’s gathering demonstrates that commitment, he said.

“We’re going to change south Albany, and you’re going to see it,” Dorough said.

The opening of the new Henderson facility will come about two years after the re-opening of the Driskell Park Community Center in January 2025. Carver Park and the Bill Miller Community Center are among future projects on tap.

“When we invest in these facilities, we invest in the community,” Ward VI City Commissioner Diana Brown, in whose district Henderson Gym is located, said. “We need to reinvest in our children, put more focus on gyms and programs. We can come together and do things like Driskell Park and all the parks. The greatest investment we can have (is) for our children. We as leaders can come together and make it work, give the children what they need.”

The commissioner said that sidewalk projects in the area will allow youngsters to safely walk to the facility.

The new community center will transform the community, City Manager Terrell Jacobs told the audience of community members and city and Dougherty County officials. 

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said.