Wheeler Park: Still Building

Published On June 10, 2026

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Wheeler Park: Still Building

Community Foundation of Central Georgia

Wheeler Park sits in the heart of Douglas.

In 1957, the Douglas Lions Club built a shelter here.

This park has always belonged to the people who live around it.

In 2019, the Community Foundation of Coffee County, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, partnered with the City of Douglas to give Wheeler Park something it had never had: a real plan. Working alongside design firm Interface Studio and the Douglas community, they built a vision for what this park could become over the next several years. What followed was research, community input, and a master plan that would guide every improvement to come.

The master plan touched every corner of the park. Scroll through to see how the vision took shape — from the first site survey to the detailed improvements proposed for each area.

The Vision: Perk Up Wheeler Park — Full Concept Plan

Priority 1: Revamp the Playground & Add a Sprayground

From plan to place.

The vision didn't stay on paper. Here's what happened when Douglas showed up.

Douglas residents were asked what they wanted from their park. They were specific.

Wheeler Park has been a place for Douglas kids for years.

The playground the community asked for, built.

The joy the community built this park for.

Small additions, real community.

The groundwork had been laid. Progress was being made. Wheeler Park was coming alive, growing into something the Douglas community could be proud of. A place for families to gather, for kids to play, and for neighbors to connect for generations to come.

2020.

Construction paused. Programs stopped. The Master Plan sat. For two years, the work waited. But the vision for Wheeler Park never went away.

September 26, 2024.

Hurricane Helene made landfall.

Hurricane Helene devastated much of the Southeast. As the storm crossed into Georgia, heavy rains and flooding washed out roads and bridges across the region, downing power lines and leaving nearly four million people without electricity. Douglas was not spared.

Wheeler Park, just finding its footing again after years of COVID delays, took a significant hit. The work that had taken years to build would have to start over. Again.

2020

Late 2024

2026

November 17, 2025.

Wheeler Park reopens.

More than a year after Hurricane Helene forced Wheeler Park to close, the City of Douglas reopened the park on November 17, 2025. The grounds looked different. The century-old pine trees that had defined the park for generations were gone. Some areas were still under repair. But the walking track, the pickleball and tennis courts, and the ballfield were open and ready.

Charles Davis, City Manager "We're viewing this as an opportunity to bring in new and improved amenities for our community. Thanks to strong partnerships and support, Wheeler Park will be revitalized for residents for generations to come."

Wheeler Park was back. Not the same as before. But back.

In January 2026, volunteers returned to Wheeler Park and planted 63 new trees. It was a small act measured against what the park had lost, but it was the first one. The century-old pines that Helene took cannot be replaced overnight. These 63 trees are a promise. A community putting something back in the ground and deciding to wait for it to grow.

Present Day.

Wheeler Park is still building.

This summer, a 1,200 square foot custom timber frame pavilion is going up at Wheeler Park. It is the largest covered gathering space the park has ever had. It is also just the beginning.

The Master Plan that the Community Foundation of Coffee County, the City of Douglas, and the Douglas community put in place in 2019 is still being built toward. New playground equipment is coming. Additional seating, new sidewalks, and more improvements are on the horizon.

In 1957, the Douglas Lions Club built a pavilion at Wheeler Park. Hurricane Helene destroyed it in 2024. In 2025, the Lions Club raised a pledge and presented a donation to help build its replacement. Sixty-eight years later, they showed up again.

They're still showing up, and Wheeler Park is still building.

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