Gone is a water park. Gone are the paddle boats. Gone are upgrades to Luther Williams Stadium, along with more than half of the money for a new senior citizens center.

Recreation improvements are touted as a prime reason for voters to approve a special purpose local option sales tax Nov. 8, but many elaborate proposals were trimmed back to fit within the $190 million that the six-year SPLOST is expected to raise.

The pared-down list for recreation now totals $39.6 million, which represents 21 percent of the total SPLOST.

Seventeen projects and big purchases of land and equipment remain. But at best, all the figures are based on tentative plans.

“The numbers we put together are the best-guess estimates, basically from experience that we’ve had -- some staff members, and other cities on what they’ve built,” said Parks and Recreation Director Dale “Doc” Dougherty. “Overall, we feel pretty confident as far as the numbers that are out there. Certainly we’re not just winging it, by any means.”

The barrier to exactly what SPLOST money would buy is that detailed planning can often eat up 10 percent of a project’s cost, he said.

And unless the SPLOST passes, there’s nowhere to get that planning money, agreed Steve Layson, chief administrative officer for Bibb County.

So for now, there’s a general idea of what SPLOST money would buy, which could still change slightly despite the fairly detailed list Bibb County officials are handing out.

“Those are the things that we’re going to try to achieve,” Layson said.

Here’s a look at the projects:

Sub South Recreation Complex: $8.2 million

The biggest item on the recreation list is also among the least defined. The idea is to build a major complex with multipurpose sports fields, tennis courts, a pool, playground and shelters. Altogether that complex might cover 40 acres, Dougherty said.

The exact location of those 40 acres, however, is unknown, although officials are looking in the Hartley Bridge Road area.

County Commissioner Joe Allen said there’s plenty of land available close to the intersection of Hartley Bridge and Mount Pleasant Church roads, just east of Interstate 75. That’s now a heavily populated area, where plans for a softball complex fell through in the early 1990s, he said.

Central City Park: $6 million

The initial proposal for Central City Park called for an elaborate complex, including a duck pond with paddle boats, but that was scaled back by more than half. The approved funds are still expected to buy improvements to current parking and athletic fields, build a “destination playground,” a baseball complex and multipurpose fields.

New Rosa Jackson Center: $4.4 million

All of the city’s eight recreation centers are slated to get some upgrades, but the SPLOST list proposes completely replacing only the Rosa Jackson Center. The current building has no room to expand, Dougherty said.

The idea is to renovate the former Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School a few blocks away, turning it into a “mega-center” with more than just athletics and traditional programs, he said. Instead, the larger building would have rooms for a variety of arts, crafts and cultural functions. It would be big enough to serve all of east Macon and stand as a prototype for future mega-centers elsewhere in the city, Dougherty said.

The hitch is that planners haven’t even determined if the Bibb County school system is prepared to sell the building.

Chris Floore, spokesman for Bibb County schools, said the former school is now being used for storage. It would have to be listed as surplus property before it could be sold, he said. That review, part of the system’s strategic planning process, has yet to be done.

Freedom Center: $3.6 million

Several city recreation centers are to get similar work: athletic field upgrades, swimming pool resurfacing and parking improvements. At Freedom Park, those are accompanied by renovating the baseball complex and replacing the badly eroded sidewalk around the lake.

Bloomfield Center: $2.5 million

A new gymnasium with a hardwood floor and fitness center is planned, along with pool resurfacing and parking improvements.

Memorial Center: $2.5 million

Like the Bloomfield Center, a new gym and fitness center is in the plans, as well as upgrades to the pool and parking lots.

Senior Center & Recreation Administration Building: $2 million

Initially $5.3 million was proposed for a new senior citizens center and renovation of city Parks & Recreation offices, though they were separate projects. Then, elected officials cut that amount to $2 million and lumped the projects together.

Dougherty said officials still hope to fix up the offices in Central City Park -- which were originally horse and elephant barns from a 1920s circus -- and renovate other nearby buildings as a campus for more active seniors. Actual plans remain to be worked out.

Land Acquisition: $2 million

Part of this money would be used to buy the site for the Sub South Complex, and any remaining money after that purchase would be set aside for future recreation land buys.

Filmore Thomas Recreation Area: $1.5 million

The city has talked for years about building a park at the former Durr’s Lake site, now called the Filmore Thomas Recreation Area. Based on tentative plans, this money would buy a walking trail, playground, shelter house and restrooms, fence, lighted parking and perhaps a meeting room.

Frank Johnson Center: $1.3 million

A new gym and locker rooms, resurfaced pool, better parking and some building renovation would come from SPLOST money, according to plans.

John Drew Smith Tennis Center: $1.3 million

The current building would be rebuilt with a second story and larger restrooms. Dougherty has said the current restrooms are inadequate for tournaments the center already attracts. Courts, lights and irrigation would also get work.

East Macon Center: $985,000

The center would get air conditioning in the gym, new activity rooms, restroom renovations, pool resurfacing and a shelter, according to the tentative plan.

North Macon Center: $820,000

Improvements there would mirror East Macon’s, but with a playground instead of pool work.

Equipment: $653,000

SPLOST money would cover the purchases of trucks, vans and mowers.

Bowden Golf Course: $600,000

Small upgrades to the city’s course have been done piecemeal, but SPLOST funds would replace the irrigation system and greens, as well as reroof the clubhouse.

Lizella Park: $500,000

Allen proposed a park in Lizella, where he lives, saying the area has always gotten the “short end of the stick.” There’s no definite site, but several parcels -- mostly in school system hands -- could work, he said. The current proposal is for a playground, shelter, walking trail and parking, but Allen said he’d also like to see a senior center built for Lizella’s many elderly residents.

Tattnall Square Park: $500,000

The money would go toward tennis court work, lights and fencing, one more part of the park’s master plan that’s being done as money becomes available.

Mattie Jones Hubbard Park: $100,000

The park at L.H. Williams Elementary School would get a rebuilt tennis court, playground, restroom and basketball court.

Henry Burns Park: $95,000

Upgrades to the small park at the corner of Ingleside and Ridge avenues would include improvements to parking and drainage, and perhaps creating a more level play area.

To contact writer Jim Gaines, call 744-4489.