Construction Contract Awarded for Long Swamp Creek Rec Area

Cherokee County leaders have approved a $2 million construction contract to develop the planned Long Swamp Creek Recreation Area near Ball Ground.

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted July 16 to award a $2 million construction services agreement with Magnum Contracting, LLC, as well as a county-controlled contingency of $155,000, for the construction of the park.

Magnum Contracting was the lowest bidder for the project.

Cherokee County purchased about 24 acres at 2015 Ball Ground Road at the confluence of Long Swamp Creek and the Etowah River in 2019 for the creation of the recreation area.

Commissioners approved the master plan for the park in May 2022 as part of the Northeast Cherokee County Parks Plan. Cherokee County hired the TSW design firm in 2023 to design the park.

The park is planned to include a canoe and kayak launch, an outdoor archery range, walking trails, primitive campsites, a picnic pavilion and more. The park will also include a restroom and shower facilities, and parking.

“This is a pretty exciting project to see it coming off the ground and getting it going,” Commissioner Steve West said.

According to the county, the majority of the work will be done in the first phase of the project.

County leaders have not decided what to do with a house that currently sits on the property. Plans for the house are expected to be in the second phase.

A timeline for the construction of the recreation area could be determined after the kick-off meeting for the project next week, according to the county.

According to Cherokee Recreation and Parks , the park is expected to open in the first quarter of 2025.

Cherokee County was awarded a $600,000 Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to offset the development costs of the park. Local matching funds for the construction of the park will come from Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funding, recreation impact fees, the tree fund and a financial contribution from the city of Ball Ground, according to county documents.

According to the county, the property features known Native American history. It also is primarily in a flood plain. For these reasons, county officials determined the land was well suited for preservation and to be used as a future park.