DCSS Breaks Ground on New Legacy Arena
DCSS Breaks Ground on New Legacy Arena
May 3 signified a step toward the future for the Douglas County School System and its community, as district and community leaders gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the school system’s new Legacy Arena.
The new 151,000 square-foot venue will hold seating for approximately 6,000 people, and will be available to host graduations and other school system events once completed.
The Legacy Arena, which will be located on Highway 5 at the site of the old DCSS Central Office, is set to open in December 2023. It will be the largest venue of its kind in West Georgia, with a seating capacity that tops Atlanta’s Fox Theater.
The idea for a venue like this one has been in the works for some time now, said DCSS Board of Education Chairwoman Tracy Rookard. At a lunch nearly five years ago with Superintendent Trent North, the two discussed a want to bring something meaningful to DCSS’ students and the Douglas County community.
“We wanted to be able to be self contained in Douglas County. The community was growing and it’s something that our students deserved,” Rookard said. “That conversation led to many discussions, which led to many partnerships between the board and the school district. Eventually we settled on a proposal and a design that stands behind us that is absolutely amazing and that we are so proud of.”
Along with hosting school events like graduations, Superintendent North added that the venue would also be available to outside events. Bringing in these events, he said, will also help support the county’s service-based economy.
“Our main focus, of course, is for our students and employees. But we know we have venues for that,” said Superintendent North. “In being a good steward of taxpayer dollars, our second main priority is what can we do to continue to support the economic growth of Douglas County. And most people don’t realize that the No. 1 job employer in Douglas County is tourism. So this supports the No. 1 thing we do well in Douglas County. We’re strategic in what we do and how we do things. It’s to be supportive of our local economy.”
North also noted that this project wouldn’t be possible without the support of local county and city leaders, as he thanked officials from the Water and Sewer Authority, Chamber of Commerce and other departments for their help in making the project become a reality.
“The thing that will make this a legacy is how the community has partnered and will continue to partner to make sure that we all participate in a manner that makes everyone in Douglas County proud,” North said. “In this day in time, when we can have local governments partnering the way that we are, that is a legacy as well.”