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***
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RADIUM
PROGRESS UPDATES
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"It was just a
place where everybody went and had a really good time,"
she said.
Built more than
80 years ago, the casino was a popular place for events
like high school dances.
"My junior (and)
senior both years were there. The Cotton Ball used to be
there," said Cates.
Over the years,
the casino survived a fire, but eventually nature dealt
a final crippling double blow with the Floods of 1994
and 1998.
The casino was
torn down. For native South Georgians such as Shirley,
seeing the shell of what was once one of the most
glamorous places in the area brings about strong
emotions.
"It makes you
really sad when you remember all the good times you had
there," she said.
But now, the
area around the old casino is undergoing a rebirth. This
site is on its way to becoming something totally
different.
"The county has
approved the Radium Gardens," said Chucky Mathis, the
Assistant Director of Public Works for Dougherty County.
In the works is
a botanical garden. Where there were once lushly
decorated rooms, now there will be lush gardens. The
plans call for a mix of native and exotic vegetation.
And there's a tip of the cap to the history of this
place as well.
Mathis said,
"where the old casino once sat, is perhaps going to be
the main attraction. Taking that area, that foundational
area where it sat at and putting in planteries."
The project is
expected to be finished early in 2010. It will cost a
little over two million dollars to complete and once
it's open will be free to the public.
The hope for
city officials is Radium Springs will once again draw
visitors from both Albany, New York and Albany, Georgia.
"We hope that
this will be a great tourist attraction for Albany. For
those come from afar as well as those that live here,"
said Mathis.
And that this
former jewel of South Georgia will sparkle once again.
***
Dougherty County approves garden bid
Tuesday, May 12,
2009
Ethan Fowler
Senior Reporter
ALBANY -
Dougherty County Commissioners saved taxpayers more than $340,000 Monday
during their regular meeting by awarding Exterior Concepts of Buford the
contract to build a botanical gardens at the former Radium Springs
Casino site.
The commission voted 5-1 in approval of Exterior Concepts. Commissioner
Muarlean Edwards of District 3 was the lone vote against Exterior
Concepts. John Hayes of District 2 did not vote after leaving the
meeting early.
"We saved about ($340,000) on the low bid," said Commissioner Jack Stone
of District 6. "These people are qualified and bonded."
At last week's meeting, commissioners tabled a measure that would have
granted LRA Constructors of Albany the bid due to Exterior Concepts not
being a licensed general contractor. Exterior Concepts had bid $830,271,
said County Clerk Barbara Engram.
In the same meeting, Jim Chafin, the head of Exterior Concepts, said his
company had completed projects throughout Georgia and the Southeast. He
also told commissioners that his interpretation of the bidding documents
were that only a business license was required to work on the project.
He also reported that he was less than 30 days from receiving his
general contractor's license.
Exterior Concepts was the only bidder that met the commission's
recommendation for use of minority vendors. It beat out LRA by 32
percent, and a third contractor, which had no minority participation,
according to Dougherty County Commission staff members.
After taking another week to go over the language in the bidding
documents, County Attorney Spencer Lee recommended at Monday's meeting
to award the bid to Exterior Concepts.
Work on the botanical gardens should begin within the next 20 days, said
Engram.
***
Radium Springs improvements tabled
5/5/2009 1:01:00
AM
J.D. Sumner
Staff Writer
ALBANY -
Dougherty County Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to table a
measure that would have granted an Albany company's $1.7 million bid to
construct botanical gardens on the site of the former Radium Springs
Casino to ensure that language in the bidding documents was fair.
Going into Monday's regular voting meeting, commissioners were set to
grant a construction bid of $1.7 million to LRA Constructors Inc., of
Albany, despite the fact that another company, Exterior Concepts Inc.,
of Buford, had the lowest bid by more than $340,000.
Exterior Concepts' bid wasn't considered the lowest responsible bid.
This was because officials with Mactec - the engineering and
construction consultants the county was using throughout the bidding
process - interpreted the language in the documents the county used in
the bidding process to mean that the bidding was open only to those who
were licensed general contractors. Exterior Concepts is not a licensed
general contractor.
Reggie Dill, a Mactec representative, told the commission Monday that
they're interpretation barred Exterior Concepts' bid because, although
they did have a business license and had licensed plumbers and
electricians, they weren't licensed general contractors.
Mactec's recommendation was to award the bid to LRA, Dill said.
Jim Chafin, the head of Exterior Concepts, told commissioners that he's
done projects throughout Georgia, the Southeast and Southwest Georgia.
Chafin said his interpretation of the bidding documents were that he
needed only a business license to do the work. He also stated that he
was less than 30 days from receiving his general contractor license.
"We're not just a fly-by-night operation here," Chafin told the
commission. "We are legitimate."
In addition to being the lowest bidder by more than $340,000, Exterior
Concepts was the only bidder who met the Commissions recommendation for
use of minority vendors; beating out LRA by 32 percent and the third
contractor who didn't have any minority participation, according to
Dougherty County Commission staff members.
After hearing Chafin's argument, Commissioner Jack Stone offered a
motion to offer Exterior Concepts the bid outright, rather than LRA.
That motion died from a lack of a second.
But after further discussion about the proper interpretation of the
language in documents, Commissioner Muarleane Edwards proposed tabling
the measure long enough to allow County Attorney Spencer Lee to render a
final opinion on the the matter.
After being seconded by Commissioner John Hayes, the commission voted
unanimously to allow Lee to interpret the language and return back to
the board for a vote.
***
Commissioners to vote on Radium Springs updates
Thursday, April
30, 2009
J.D. Sumner
Staff Writer
| The remnants of the Radium Springs
Casino sit locked away from the public just off Radium Springs
Road. County leaders got one step closer to improving the
seven-acre site Wednesday. |
ALBANY -
Dougherty County Commissioners heard from county authorities and the
architect of proposed botanical gardens project near the site of the
former Radium Springs Casino Wednesday.
Commissioners are preparing to award the contract for the $830,000
phase-one project to Exterior Concepts, Inc., which met low bid
specifications, County Administrator Richard Crowdis said.
With the funds coming from funds generated by Special Local Option Sales
Tax V, Crowdis said plans call for the restoration and inclusion of some
of the casino's most recognizable features including a gazebo near the
spring and the free-standing columns that are currently visible from
Radium Springs Road.
It's a process that Crowdis said started about four years ago and is now
coming to fruition.
"We hope to complete phase one and then move on to phase two and then
phase three and four when it gets to that point," Crowdis said.
One of the area's premier attractions for decades beginning in the
1930's, the casino was damaged beyond repair in the flood of 1994 and
ultimately demolished.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency bought the seven acres where the
site currently sits, but gave the land back to Dougherty County.
The price of both phases is expected to be around $2.5 million, Crowdis
said.
***
Making
over Radium Springs
Aug 9,
2007 04:22 PM EDT
Albany - - It's considered one of the seven natural wonders of Georgia
and Radium Springs is about to get a makeover.
After damage from the floods of 1994 and 1998, the park closed down.
Only a portion of Radium Springs is now open to the public.
Monday, county commissioners approved a $72,500 contract for a design
company to come up with the first phase of a revitalization project.
"That includes mostly a botanical garden and that opens it back up to
the public for the first time in many years. So were looking forward to
that and hopefully this time next year, phase one will be open," says
County Administrator Richard Crowdis.
The project has already received 2.5 million dollars in SPLOST revenue.
County leaders are working with state leaders and the Department of
Natural resources to come up with other ideas for Radium springs
-including walking trails, fishing piers, and water bird displays.
***
Clipping of Albany
Herald article August 15, 2006
Submitted by Tommy Pattison ('54)
(Click to enlarge)
Article below from
Albany Herald Online
Events
key to Radium plan
August 15,
2006
Valerie Benton
Architects
unveil a proposed design for Phase 1 of the Radium Springs
development project to the Dougherty County Commission.
ALBANY — After seeing an architect's plans for
transforming Radium Springs into a public venue, Dougherty County
Commissioner John Hayes said Monday that he was expecting "to see
something with pop."
Phase 1 of a total estimated $2 million development plan
for Radium Springs consists mostly of assorted gardens with amenities,
such as a gazebo, footbridge and entrance gate created from remnants of
the historic Radium Springs casino.
|
Special to The Herald |
|
The proposed architectural master plan for
the Radium Springs project shows current structures planned
for renovation, as well as new additions to the site.
|
The first phase is expected to cost about $550,000,
architects say.
"Aesthetically, it has the makings of something very,
very nice," said Hayes, whose District 2 includes the resort. "I think
the architect has done an excellent job."
But Hayes said he is disturbed about the end product.
"There's a piece that's missing here," he said while gazing at the
displayed architectural rendering at Monday's meeting. He said plans for
Radium Springs should include more activities that encourage people to
revisit the site.
"It's a very good beginning," Hayes said.
Ron Huffman, senior principal landscape architect with
MACTEC in Kennesaw, says revisitation to the springs will be generated
by special events held at the proposed botannical gardens, as well as
swimming and scuba diving limited to four weekends a year.
One garden area, he suggested, could be rented for
weddings, or formal or semi-formal events.
The plan by itself is not going to generate revenue for
or traffic to Radium Springs, Huffman said. "It's a collective marketing
effort," he said.
When presenting his plan for an assortment of garden
spots, a bird-watching area and butterfly garden and amphitheater for an
outdoor classroom, Huffman said the entire plan is designed "to be
relatively low maintenance."
"It's a historical and very valuable resource that we've
got to be very careful with," Huffman said. "Radium Springs is
incredible."
Huffman said Phase 1 represents the initial phase of a
five-year plan. The number of future phases of development must be
determined by Dougherty County commissioners, he said. If Phase 1 is
approved, development could begin next spring and be completed in about
six months.
In preparation for future development of the Radium area,
the Greenspace Citizens Advisory Committee has recommended that
Dougherty commissioners purchase 55 acres of undeveloped property for
$150,000 from Darrel Ealum, owner of Radium Country Club. The property
is part of the country club, said Albany-Dougherty Planning Director
Elizabeth Dean.
Dean said the citizens group is also negotiating with
Ealum for portions of his developed properties south of Radium Springs
resort. "There's lots of discussion," she said.
Dougherty County Administrator Richard Crowdis said the
county has $535,000 in special-purpose, local-option sales tax 5
earmarked for five specific greenspace properties. Additionally, $2.5
million of sales tax 5 has been designated for the Radium Springs
development project — $550,000 for Phase 1, he said. Crowdis said
development of the entire site, including 80 acres belonging to the
state, will require state funding in addition to county funds.
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