College Park will be able to do something next month it hasn’t been able to in more than half a century, open a new recreation building.

College Park Assistant Recreation Director Keith James said the 35,000 square-foot center at 2300 Godby Road is the first new recreation structure for the city since the Brady Recreation Center opened in 1956.

The center, scheduled to open by the end of January, is also the first recreation center on the south side of College Park with the Conley and Brady Recreation Centers on College Street and Brenningham Drive, respectively, serving the city’s north side.

The new center, which has yet to have an official name, consists of two levels and includes two regulation size gymnasium areas, weight training and cardio-vascular room, meeting rooms, a multi-functional room, computer room, three staff member offices and a snack bar area, James said.

Ground was broken for the new structure on Nov. 10 of last year.

James credits College Park Mayor Jack Longino and the city council, especially Ward III representative Tracey Wyatt, for making the dream of a third recreation center a reality.

Wyatt, who is in his second term on council and represents a diverse area encompassing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Old National Highway corridor and the portion of College Park residing in Clayton County, expressed his appreciation to the mayor and fellow council members for supporting his vision of a south side recreation center.

“This has been a vision of mine since I first ran for council in 2003,” said Wyatt who, in 1975, was a member of a boy’s club organization in the city under James’ supervision.