The future of Mary Ross Park is in the city's hands

The fact that the current members of the City Commission are doers bodes well for the future of Mary Ross Waterfront Park. Some might even say that doing something more constructive with the property decreases the chances of it slipping away to another entity. The municipality’s finance committee is waiting for the City Commission to decide whether it should consider contracting an engineering firm for upgrades to the park. Upgrades could include a commercial building, an amphitheater or a covered performance stage, new sidewalks, paths, green room and restroom building, an enhanced playground area and other features. The idea would be to leave ample green space to accommodate annual festivals like the Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee and CoastFest. Of course, there have been a myriad of discussions and expensive plans paid for by city taxpayers to professional firms over the decades. A lot of ideas, good ideas, have been pitched to past City Commissions. Much of what is visible there today seems to have outlived its usefulness. Other Georgia cities have capitalized on their waterfronts, including the city of Macon, once administered by our own current city manager, Regina McDuffie. The middle Georgia community turned the Ocmulgee River into a goldmine with a brilliant plan that continues to draw tourists and future residents to the area. The city used to own more waterfront on the East River. It sold its Brunswick Port Authority and facilities, and it sold a sizable chunk of land connected to Mary Ross to accommodate GPA’s Mayor’s Point Terminal in 1980s. Commissioners also were engaged in private, preliminary discussions with the state ports authority to cede or sell even more of the park to GPA that same decade but abandoned the idea following public outcry. Businesses and residents foresaw a lucrative use for the property. The former mayor of Brunswick and commissioners wisely turned down the idea of creating a splash park at Mary Ross. Great attraction, but the idea belonged elsewhere, and elsewhere is where they installed it. Commissioners moved it to Orange Square, a public park which was recently renamed Coach Otheler Speakman Park. Giving Mary Ross Park added purpose might protect the riverfront of Downtown Brunswick from wandering from city ownership in the future. We trust the members of the City Commission to make the right decision on the future of Mary Ross Waterfront Park. They haven’t let the community down yet.