Five years after a devastating fire, the Douglas County Department of Transportation officially started construction on a new maintenance building designed to streamline their operations and bolster emergency response capabilities. The ceremony on December 4 marked the beginning of what will be a 6,384-square-foot facility, with completion expected by the summer of 2025.
Located off Chicago Avenue in Douglasville, this modern structure is made possible by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenues, which are earmarked for local projects such as this and it not only replaces the original from 1958 but also represents a significant investment in the county's infrastructure strategy, providing a centralized location for on-call personnel especially during critical emergency activations, the ceremony was attended by county officials and colleagues who collectively acknowledged the importance of the project.
During the groundbreaking event, Douglas County's announcement cited Managing Director of the Department of Transportation, Suleman Rana, who identified the construction as "a really good investment in our workforce which will, in turn, improve the quality of life and infrastructure for our residents." He extended gratitude to the community and team members involved, saying, "This is a team project, and we could not have done it without you."
Dr. Romona Jackson-Jones, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, expressed the board's excitement about the new building and emphasized its significance for public safety and infrastructure. She told the Douglas County, "This building burned down in 2019, and we can't stress enough how important it is for public safety and infrastructure to have division management and field staff under one roof to provide exceptional service to the citizens of Douglas County." She also acknowledged the critical community support and the role of SPLOST funding in making this foundational project a reality for the department's operations.
