A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held for the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center on Monday, February 12 at 3:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the brief ceremony which will be followed by tours of the facility.

The 39,000-square-foot center features a 50-meter competition pool with state-of-the-art technology to host competitive swimming events as well as lap swimming. The 25-yard pool will be used for swimming classes, aqua-aerobics, as well as additional water activities. The building also includes a classroom space. 

Dr. Chris Brown, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and District Operations, said, “The Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center will be a tremendous asset for the Houston County community. Not only will it provide additional recreational activities like swimming lessons and water aerobics for our residents, but it will also have a positive impact on our local economy through the competitive swimming events that will be hosted here.”

Funding for the project came from the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax as well as contributions from the Houston County School District. The construction of the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center was a joint effort between the Houston County School District, Houston County Government, and the cities of Centerville, Perry, and Warner Robins. The Houston County Board of Education donated the land for the Aquatic Center and managed the construction project. The project was designed by Cooper Cary, and the construction manager was Parrish Construction Group. 

“This facility is a testament to what can be achieved when the government listens to citizen input and endeavors to solve a problem collaboratively. I’m so thankful to those who had the vision for this facility and to the citizens of Houston County for voting for the 2018 SPLOST to fund its development,” said Dan Perdue, Chairman of the Houston County Board of Commissioners.

The center is named after Tommy Stalnaker, former Chairman of the Houston County Commissioners. He began his career in 1972 serving as an employee of Houston County for 38 years.  Then, the citizens of Houston County elected him as Chairman of the Houston County Board of Commissioners, where he served 12 years before retiring in 2022. 

More information about the facility can be found at https://www.hcbe.net/aquaticcenter.