Project retrospective · Story updated September 22, 2026
South Bibb Recreation Complex brings several kinds of community activity together at 7035 Houston Road in Macon. Its story also shows how a public facility can develop in phases, with the work extending from the main recreation building into the surrounding outdoor spaces.
Macon-Bibb County’s October 2018 project announcement identified Warren Associates as the contractor for both the first phase and the second phase. The county credited Vaughn & Melton with the master plan, developed after three public forums about the facilities and programs residents wanted.
Building out the recreation campus
On November 18, 2020, the county celebrated completion of the second construction phase and dedicated the Randy Stephens Tennis Center. The county’s account described 19 added full-size tennis courts, bringing the total to 23, along with eight smaller courts for pickleball or junior tennis.
The phase also included four pavilions, a splash pad, a separate restroom building serving that area and completion of the walking trail. The November 2020 announcement identified the playground as a later installation, making it useful to distinguish the completed work from the remaining item at that milestone.
Connecting the spaces between activities
A recreation complex is more than its largest building or playing surface. Gathering places, circulation and support facilities help different activities share a site. Parents waiting for a session, players moving between courts and neighbors taking a walk each experience the property differently.
For owners planning a similar campus, the relationship between those uses deserves attention early. Which activities need to be close together? Where will groups gather? How will later work connect to an earlier phase? A master plan provides a setting for those discussions before individual pieces move into construction.
Recognition beyond opening day
In September 2022, Macon-Bibb County reported that the Randy Stephens Tennis Center was one of 33 USTA Outstanding Facility Award recipients. That recognition adds another chapter to a project rooted in local recreation needs.
See the project
Browse the South Bibb project page and Warren’s recreational construction portfolio, or contact our team to discuss a community facility.
Historical references: Macon-Bibb County’s 2018 phase-two announcement, 2020 dedication report and 2022 facility award report.