Brookhaven Begins Demolition To Make Way For New Park

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- Brookhaven work crews have began tearing down the old Georgia Vital Records Office in order to transform the tract it sits on into a new park, the city said Monday. The demolition was kicked off by Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, who said that the new park is a win-win for everyone.

“Several months ago, Brookhaven was approached by DeKalb County Schools with a proposal: They needed land for a new school to relieve overcrowding, and the place they identified happened to be an existing city park,” Ernst said in a news release. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Construction of the new $3 million state-of-the-art public park is being done by Duluth-based Multiplex, who was awarded the contract in May.

“DeKalb Schools gets the park land for the new John Lewis Elementary School, and the City of Brookhaven gets the land right next to the school for a brand new park," Ernst was quoted as saying.

The park will have several features, including two sand volleyball courts, two picnic shelters, a restroom facility, two dog parks and more.

The city expects the new park to be completed in a couple weeks. The first phase of the project is demolition, which includes asbestos removal.

Image via Brookhaven government