ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The City of Albany is moving forward with an $8.5 million revitalization project to replace the historic Henderson Community Center on the city’s southside.

The Henderson Community Center closed two months ago as the City of Albany Recreation and Parks Department began clearing the building in preparation for demolition. LRA Constructors, Inc. has submitted a bid to transform the site.

The closure has affected children in surrounding neighborhoods who used the center as a safe space after school.

“When they are down at the gym, it’s like a whole they play together, but now since that gym has been closed more, I don’t want to say violent, but the fighting and the back and forth because you got kids coming from up the street that will come up here and they are wreaking trouble,” one resident said.

The revitalized Henderson Center will include a state-of-the-art gym, an outdoor connected basketball court, a multi-purpose field, a modern playground and a community garden.

Commissioner Diana Brown of Ward 6 said she supports the project but wants the entire construction completed without delays.

“We have these gyms in place for a reason, and the reason is our children to have an outlet when home from school and to have the activities that they need and the programs they need here,” Brown said.

Recreation and Parks Director Steven Belk said the community has waited long enough for improvements to the facility built in 1979.

“We’re just asking you to wait a little bit longer. Because good things come to those who wait,” Belks said.

The commission is scheduled to vote on the project on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

If approved, the groundbreaking ceremony is anticipated to take place a few months later.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.