Under renovation since July 2025, the city of Statesboro will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony next week to celebrate the completion of renovations at Whitesville Park. The public is invited to the event set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.
Whitesville Park, which is located off Raymond Street Extension, just west of Highway 301 North, once was a popular gathering space operated by neighborhood volunteers. However, the park fell into disrepair and was closed to the public indefinitely in 2016 due to a combination of aging infrastructure, vandalism and maintenance challenges.
For years, volunteers like the late Carrie Howard and many more from the Whitesville Community Resource and Development Organization Inc. advocated for the preservation of the park, requesting Statesboro officials on several occasions for the city to assume ownership and revitalize the space.
In April 2022, the park property was officially deeded to Statesboro and city staff began exploring funding opportunities to support its renovation. Multiple grant applications to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, though, were unsuccessful. Finally, city officials decided to designate $1.2 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to move forward with the long-awaited project.
In December 2024, the City Council awarded a renovation contract to Lavender & Associates, committing to the revitalization of the park.
“The project has been a long time in making,” said Assistant City Manager Jason Boyles. “I know years ago, back when I was director of Public Works Engineering, I had many conversations with Ms. Carrie Howard about trying to get this park taken care of. Trying to line up crews to come out here and help the park out. Help the community out.”
The completed renovations include a modern restroom facility, a refurbished basketball court, a playground, and two covered pavilions — restoring Whitesville Park as a “central hub for recreation and community connection, providing a safe and welcoming environment for residents of all ages.”