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Youth Council to open Statesboro Chess Park
Ribbon cutting is Tuesday afternoon
Chess Park
Members of the Statesboro Youth Council and employees of the Statesboro Public Works Department worked together to set up the Chess Park on East Cherry Street. (Photo courtesy CITY OF STATESBORO)

The City of Statesboro Youth Council will hold a ribbon cutting for its recently completed Chess Park on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m. 

According to a release from the city of Statesboro, the City Council will conclude its regularly scheduled work session on April 15 at 4:40 p.m. and walk over to the park on East Cherry Street. 

In May of 2024, the Statesboro Youth Council applied for a “Placemaking” grant from Georgia City Solutions. In the grant application, the Youth Council identified several areas along the Willie McTell Trail in downtown Statesboro they believed needed improvement. 

In addition to repairs and maintenance along the trail, the Youth Council also proposed the creation of a life-size chess park to be located on East Cherry Street, across from the Downtown Dog Park, which is located off East Grady Street, behind the Statesboro Regional Library. 

Chess Park
The Statesboro Chess Park on East Cherry Street is shown here. A ribbon-cutting for the park is set for 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Photo courtesy CITY OF STATESBORO)

Georgia City Solutions awarded the Youth Council a $500 grant for the project. The Youth Council secured additional match donations to complete the project. 

The release stated that the Chess Park and other Willie McTell Trail improvements were made possible through a partnership with Statesboro’s Public Works Department. 

Members of the department worked alongside the Youth Council to install the life-size chess board and flower planters at the park and replace benches along the trail. The Chess Park is the first of many additional improvements the Statesboro Youth Council hopes to make along the McTell Trail, according to the release.