After a long wait, Diamond Lakes restrooms debut for tourney

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After years of ongoing issues from plumbing, delays and vandalism, Diamond Lakes Regional Park is opening up fully functioning restrooms and concession stands.

The city says the facilities have been an issue for Diamond Lakes going back to when they opened in 2012. Back then, it was just water leakage, but since 2019 leading up to the beginning of 2023, more than $900,000 had already gone into fixing up these buildings that keep on having issues.

In February of this year, the Augusta Commission approved another $850,000 in SPLOST 7 and 8 funds as a final fix, bringing that final price tag fix to around $1.75 million.

Director of Central Services Ron Lampkin said from there, the facilities would initially be completed by spring but continued to see delays into the summer. On top of construction delays and piping issues, Lampkin attributed more months of delays to vandalism.

Now, there’s a grand opening with an exciting event that’s expected to bring in 2,500 people to south Augusta, with a $3.3 million in economic impact, all hosted by a clean venue with shiny toilets and sinks.

Dustin Roberts, national director of the Military Softball World Series, says the USSSA Military Worlds softball tournament will bring in thousands of veterans from across the country and overseas from Wednesday through Sunday.

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It’s the first time south Augusta has held the event since 2017, but the event stopped coming due to repairs at Diamond Lakes, as well as the pandemic.

“For me personally, I don’t think there was any frustrations but I think having them open now, especially for such a big event is, I think, a really really big thing for the city. Especially for the military program,” said player and Army Veteran Cody Stack.

Bringing this event together with military families from around the world to south Augusta, Stack says creates something comparable to Columbia County next door.

“I know that Diamond Lakes has been struggling with the restroom and things like that, but getting things fixed up, and having the facilities like this and Patriots Park over in Columbia County are really beneficial to that adult softball community,” he said.

USSA Military Director, Jeff Brown, also said: “We are very well aware of the concerns we had coming in, you know, we were in contact with the sports council and the community was talking about getting the fields prepared and there were some concerns about whether we were going to have them ready and they assured us that they would be ready.”

Central Services Director, Ron Lampkin, is optimistic about the event creating room for more like it in the future.

“It’s been a long time coming. A lot of people have been waiting for these restrooms to be open we get calls every week,” he said.

Following a walk-through of the completed restrooms, District 4 Commissioner Alvin Mason weighed in, “Well, I’m feeling pretty good now.”

It will also mark a return to Diamond Lakes’ concession stands in the towers at the park, which have been shut down for as long as the event has been away from south Augusta.

Eight of the infamous porta-potties have already been removed as the backup to the restrooms, but some will remain around the park for areas that are a far walking distance from the towers.

Lampkin says he already has plans in store for new lighting around the track when funds are available.

Moving forward, the restrooms at the towers are intended to remain open when the park is open – from dusk until dawn.