Macon-Bibb's Sub-South project delay, extra costs cause stir

Bibb County's $180 million sales tax referendum approved in 2012 included up to $8 million to build a Sub-South recreation center near Hartley Bridge Road.

But initial construction bids for that project point to an $11 million price tag, about $3 million more than expected, county officials said this week. Now, two Macon-Bibb commissioners -- Elaine Lucas and Scotty Shepherd -- say they won't support a new special purpose local option sales tax until progress is made on the Sub-South center.

Because of the price problems, the timetable for Sub-South remains unknown.

Shepherd said he won't ask residents in his district, where the center will be built, to vote in favor of the penny-on-the-dollar sales tax until construction starts.

"They haven't even broken ground yet, so do you think I'm going to ask people for more money?" he said Monday. "No way in the world."

The latest construction bids are due by April 7, county officials said. The first ones, from January, showed the project would cost about 40 percent more than the amount set aside in the 2012 SPLOST, Macon-Bibb spokesman Chris Floore said.

Floore said there are too many variables to know when construction might start.

"The process is moving forward," he said, "but we only have a certain amount of funding set aside for that."

Sub-South's master plan includes a swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts as well as baseball, softball and multi-purpose fields. The tennis community has pushed for the center to become a site that can host large events.

"It's too early to say now when we could hold a groundbreaking because we don't know what the bids will show," Floore said.

Whether some amenities will be cut back or eliminated altogether in the first phase is not yet known, he said.

Lucas, whose district also stretches into south Bibb County, said she also is waiting to see what takes place with the Sub-South Recreation Center before endorsing another SPLOST.

"We can't go to our constituents to support something based on just our word," she said. "We need to show them that there are some results."

On Tuesday, the County Commission will have its first official SPLOST meeting as it gears up for a new referendum that's expected to be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Overall in the current SPLOST, $39.5 million has been dedicated to recreation projects. In recent months, groundbreakings have been held at places like Frank Johnson and Rosa Jackson community centers as well as East Macon Park.

Money from the 2012 SPLOST also has been used for Second Street Corridor work, the construction of fire stations, an animal shelter and a juvenile justice center, among other projects.

During Tuesday's meeting, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, which created the guidelines for SPLOST projects, will detail the process as the agency works with county officials to meet deadlines.

"(ACCG) will then work with the commission on how they would like this process to move forward, including timeline, how input will be received (from commissioners and the public) and discussions on current plans," Floore said in an email.

Those current plans include the next phase of recreation center work countywide, other capital improvement projects and the SPLOST's ties to the Macon Action Plan's urban redevelopment effort, Floore said.

County officials will host a series of SPLOST meetings, including community forums, in preparation for a potential November vote. Lucas said it will be up to commissioners to be certain that any SPLOST list encompasses projects throughout Bibb.

"I think that's one of the strengths of the commission is that we are looking toward making sure there are improvements over the entire community," she said.

Tuesday's SPLOST meeting will be at the Macon-Bibb County Government Center, 700 Poplar St. The meeting begins at 9 a.m.

Information from The Telegraph's archives was used in this report. To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on twitter @stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb's Sub-South project delay, extra costs cause stir ."