Town Center Community Improvement District (TCCID) held a formal groundbreaking ceremony today for Aviation Park, a new flight-themed park to be appropriately located adjacent to the end of the Cobb County International Airport runway in Kennesaw. Due to inclement weather, the event was moved from the original park’s site to one of the airport’s hangars, with help from Cobb County and Hawthorne Global Aviation Services.
Representing a $2M investment by Town Center CID, the three-acre park will serve as a tribute to Cobb’s rich history in aviation and act as a natural stopping point along the Noonday Creek trail. This project represents the first effort of its kind for the CID, with the organization undertaking the entirety of its planning, design, construction and funding.
Cobb County Commission Chairman Mike Boyce, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell and other officials joined CID Executive Director Tracy Rathbone and TCCID Board Chairman Kelly Keappler in making remarks at the event followed by photos with ceremonial shovels in front of grounded Cessna aircraft.
Located at the corner of Barrett Lakes Boulevard and Cobb Place Boulevard, Aviation Park will offer visitors plenty of open greenspace to relax, as well as the perfect viewing area to watch nearly 200 planes take off and land each day. It will also feature a flight-themed playground, covered picnic pavilion, integrated historical information and art display, a Zagster bike share station, parking lot and restrooms that include a replica of the airport’s early air traffic control tower. 
“We expect Aviation Park to have a significant impact on the quality of life in Town Center,” Town Center CID Executive Director, Tracy Rathbone. “While the District has historically been a primarily commercial area, its character is evolving into a well-rounded community. Our greenspace initiatives are a high priority for us because they will enhance the landscape of Town Center, literally. It will be a place people want to spend their down time, enjoying the outdoors. We look forward to putting more initiatives like Aviation Park into place in the coming months.”
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce spent time reflecting on former Commissioner Herbert McCollum, the airport’s namesake, and McCollum’s vision for Cobb’s recreation programs. “I think Herb would be delighted if he was here with us today, to see that his dream has come true.” Boyce expressed his own gratification with the project, saying, “I’m excited to see that Cobb’s not only going to have a future in supporting this terrific park, but that we will be partnering with the Town Center CID, which has a great impact on the economic growth of Cobb County.” 
Though its theme is a nod to history, Aviation Park features modern amenities. The playground showcases a rubber mock runway under a Corocord airplane structure, which consists of a rope and cable climbing system for children to enjoy. It will feature standard, toddler and basket swings with ADA accessibility, while spinner bowls mimic the light placement along a typical runway. Finally, an ICON climbing structure will offer park visitors a combination of a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) themed electronic play system and physical activity.
“We’re building a state of the art, really cool, interactive playground that you won’t see anywhere else,” said Kelly Keappler, Chairman of the Town Center CID Board of Directors. In his speech, Keappler also expressed that Aviation Park embodies community improvement efforts because it will enhance Town Center’s value and excellence. “We are taking three acres of land and turning it into a place where children can play, families can congregate, people can get together, recreate, relax,” he said.
Aviation Park is just one of the beautification projects on the CID’s agenda. In a recent update to its Master Plan, the District re-strategized its development efforts to make greenspace a key component of the traditionally commercial area. Town Center Park and the Bells Ferry Trailhead Update are other projects that will connect via the Noonday Creek Trail to the many resources and attractions in the area. Combined, these three projects represent nearly 50 acres of greenspace within the CID. Taking into consideration the District’s high rate of growth, the Master Plan seeks to capture the momentum and raise the bar on the quality of development in the area in order to ultimately create a place where people can enjoy all aspects of life.
The future park’s groundbreaking ceremony also highlighted the involvement of the Town Center Community Alliance. Alliance Chairman Mason Zimmerman explained how the nonprofit entity will help shape the future image of Town Center by effectively and efficiently developing outdoor recreation with parks, trails, landscapes, artwork displays and other quality of life initiatives, like the Zagster Town Center Bike Share program.
Aviation Park was designed by ARCADIS and is being constructed by Integrated Construction and Nobility, Inc. Construction is expected to be completed by Q1 2018. For more information on Aviation Park, please visit http://www.towncentercid.com/projects/aviation-park/.
Watch the time lapse video of the park’s ongoing construction here: www.towncentercid.com
Watch the event itself at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ0G6g0IPmE
About the Town Center CID
Founded in 1997, the Town CID is dedicated to the betterment of the Town Center area through transportation infrastructure, safety improvements, beautification and other projects that enhance property value by increasing interest and investment in the community. The Town Center CID utilizes funds from voluntary commercial real estate taxes to implement its projects. For more information, please visit www.towncentercid.com.
