BROOKHAVEN — The historic Lynwood Park will undergo a transformation to the tune of $9.25 million.
“The Lynwood Park upgrades will be the most the most transformative changes out of all of the Park Bond upgrades, and they will all be happening simultaneously,” said Mayor John Ernst after the city council approved three contracts for the park upgrades Oct. 26. “We will be wrapping up the Parks Bond projects at Lynwood, which is the grand finale.”
All of the improvements to Lynwood Park were called for in the Park Bond referendum, overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2018 after substantial public input.
After a competitive proposal process, Integrated Construction and Nobility was awarded the contract for the construction of the Lynwood Park splash pad, pool, pool house, parking lots, landscaping and site work in the amount of $8,610,352. Advanced Sports Group was chosen for the installation of multi-use synthetic turf field in the amount of $564,782, and a contract was awarded to GeoHydro Engineers for the geotech, soils, and construction material testing for the projects in the amount of $82,558.
Lynwood Park was established in the early 1930’s and was the first predominantly Black subdivision in DeKalb County. Residents throughout the following years suffered discrimination and segregation. In 1968, students of the school, known as the Lynwood Trailblazers, bravely entered the previously segregated DeKalb County School System.
The Brookhaven City Council issued its first official historic designation for Lynwood Park and its community last year. While upgrades are planned to the entire area, the historic school will be preserved in its present state.
“The history of the building we know as the Lynwood Recreation Center is so important to the City’s history and will now be preserved for today’s children and future generations to understand history, not in the abstract, but in concrete,” said District 1 Councilwoman Linley Jones.
Once complete, Brookhaven will install the bronze recognition plaque inside the building listing the names of all recognized Trailblazers and install granite entrance monuments, identifying the neighborhood of Historic Lynwood Park, as specified under the terms of the historic designation.
Granite monuments and historical markers will also be installed, detailing the history of the area and its role and place in Brookhaven’s history.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2022, weather permitting.