It won't take long for visitors to the newly rebuilt John Davis Recreation Center to realize they're in a brand new place. First built in 1957, the "old rec" was the home of the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department for decades. But what was once familiar has now been almost completely transformed following a nearly three-year reconstruction and renovation project. A grand opening for the facility is being held Saturday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m.

"When you walk in the front door and you see the big tree and the birds in the foyer, I think that immediately shows that element of art and the creative side of what we're hoping to do with some of our programming," said Steve Roberts, Dalton's Parks and Recreation Department director.

"Getting this building up and running, it opens us up to really be able to start offering some programming that we've been trying to offer over at Mack Gaston (Recreation Center), but we just haven't had space. So, I think the 'wow factor', I hope, comes from our programming and not just from the building itself."

The new building's large entry foyer welcomes visitors with artwork. A huge mural of a tree fills the wall behind the reception desk and an art installation of a flock of birds seems to spring forward from another. This entry space gives way to the building's huge new gym, which can be configured for basketball or volleyball, and boasts enough space for multiple games at once. The building also has a large banquet room with space for approximately 250 people, as well as multiple meeting spaces with movable walls which can be configured for multiple uses. There can be as many as six meeting rooms or programming spaces used at once.

"Our backbone will always be youth athletics. We serve as many as 6,400 kids a year, so that's going to be our backbone," Mr. Roberts said. "But we also want to be able to draw in members of the community who aren't coming here for a basketball game or a volleyball game. We're going to utilize the space that we've got now and really amp up the programming side of our department and try to offer things for people of all ages with a lot of different interests."

The building has a new concessions area, which can serve both the gym and the outdoor pool. The pool area has also gotten a facelift, with a new entry building featuring new restrooms and locker facilities which opened earlier this summer. A highlight feature of the new building is an outdoor climbing wall with a rope belay system. When supervised by trained staff, climbers will be able to scale their way to the top of the new gym.

"I think the climbing wall will bring some 'wow factor' because there really aren't any other recreation departments around this area that have anything like that," Mr. Roberts said.

Mr. Roberts grew up playing sports at the old rec, and he also started his professional career there. Finally being able to move back in to the John Davis Center does stir up some nostalgia. But with so many changes to the building and also to James Brown Park that surrounds it, he says being back has him thinking more of the future than the past.

"(The office space) is relatively similar, but now it's just a totally different building that has so many more uses. We're going to be able to offer a lot for a lot of different backgrounds," he said. "James Brown Park is totally different than it used to be. The other day, I was standing on top of the hill and I was just looking around and now we've got the new pickleball courts where Cabin Craft (softball) Field used to be. We have the skate park where we used to have an open field. Where the Ronnie Nix Soccer Complex is now, it used to be two softball fields. When you just sit back and look at it, you just think, 'wow, this park has been totally transformed into a more modern recreation facility.'"

"I really give our mayor and city council a lot of kudos, and our city management, for having the vision of wanting to make this facility fit a more modern recreation (era)," he continued. "I can't give them enough credit for taking the opportunity to transform not only the park, not only the building, but really our whole department into a different mindset of what we can do to serve the community."

The grand re-opening celebration on Aug. 29 was planned for a Saturday to give Dalton's children a chance to attend and participate. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. and plenty of activities are being planned with fun for kids in mind. Visitors to the John Davis Center will be given instructions for a scavenger hunt-style tour of all areas of the new facility. Those who complete the hunt will be given special prizes, including a special keepsake marking the grand opening date while supplies last. Parks and Recreation staff will be on hand throughout the morning to lead games and programs to make it a memorable first day, officials said.