Hugh Mills Stadium makeover becoming a reality | PHOTO GALLERY

ALBANY — Dougherty County Athletics Director Johnny Seabrooks looks out the window of his office at Hugh Mills Stadium and can’t help but to smile.

After several long years of trying to bring artificial turf to the infield at Hugh Mills Stadium, Seabrooks’ dream is finally becoming a reality.

Work began this week, preparing the infield for an artificial playing surface, something the longtime athletic director believes was overdue.

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“It’s going to be great once it’s installed,” Seabrooks said. “You won’t have to worry about the rain and the wear-and-tear. And the biggest thing is it’s going to help us keep a little more money in our budget because we won’t have to do the extra maintenance.”

Seabrooks said the target date for completion is Aug. 17, four days before Westover is scheduled to host Lee County in the first varsity game of the football season on Aug. 21. But officials with the artificial turf company are expecting to be finished sooner.

Albany High football coach Felton Williams said he’s excited about playing on the synthetic surface.

“We’ve got four local high schools and the middle schools that play there, and that field got so much wear and tear,” Williams told the Herald last year. “The turf will be a great benefit for the system as a whole.”

Some 20 varsity games and countless middle school games are scheduled to be played on the artificial surface this fall. Hugh Mills Stadium will join Lee County’s Trojan Field, Colquitt County’s Mack Tharpe Stadium, Valdosta’s Bazemore-Hyder Stadium and Lowndes’ Martin Stadium as South Georgia venues with artificial turf.

Not only will Dougherty County save money from the upkeep and maintenance of the natural grass surface, but Seabrooks said the cosmetic appearance will be an added benefit.

“More than anything than cost saving is the wear and tear and the appearance,” Seabrooks said. “Hugh Mills is a historic place. Having the artificial turf will increase some activities there. It will open the stadium up for some other activities and it will give Hugh Mills that appearance.

“When people walk into Hugh Mills Stadium, they are surprised at how historic it is. It will be first class all the way. It will upgrade our facility a lot.”