Rome's New Park Opens at GE Trails, on the Field That Was the City's First Airport

Garrard Park has its grand opening at GE Trails, 1935 Redmond Circle, on Friday, November 6, at 3 p.m. Most people in West Rome know this property for its mountain-bike loops. The new park adds things for small children, older kids on bikes, and anyone who wants a covered picnic table and a restroom. The airplane theme of the main playground comes straight from the land itself, because one of these fields was once Rome's first airport.

The theme gives the park a history. The new features also make the trail property usable for a much wider range of people. Put together, Garrard Park gives the old GE site a front door it hasn't had before.

A doctor, an airstrip and a plane delivered to Rome

The property is named for Dr. Garrard, who owned the land before he sold it to General Electric in July 1952 for $118,350. According to the Rome-Floyd Trails guide, the tract covers 123 acres.

Before GE, Dr. Garrard turned one of the fields into an airstrip, and that was Rome's first airport. The same guide says the plane was delivered by Robert E. Stroop, who earned his flight certification in 1921 from Orville Wright. Stroop later married one of Garrard's daughters. The guide also says Garrard and Stroop descendants came to the dedication when the recreational complex first opened.

That history shaped what the city built. WRGA reported in May that the Rome Community Redevelopment Committee saw a concept for a large playground with an airport or aircraft theme. The drawings showed a structure that looks like a control tower, with three slides coming off it, and monkey bars shaped like an airplane. The station noted that Rome's original airport was in this area.

What opens on November 6

The City of Rome lists these features for the opening:

• An inclusive playground with an airplane theme
• A pedal park
• A covered pavilion with picnic tables and restrooms
• A connection to GE Trails

The city's September construction update adds detail. There are two inclusive playgrounds, one for ages 2 to 5 and one for ages 5 to 12, and the airplane-themed area is part of that setup. The update also lists a pump track next to the pedal park, plus walking paths inside the park and access to the existing trail systems. At that point, crews were working on the pump track and putting together the airplane playground equipment.

Look at that list next to what was already out there. A pump track and pedal park give kids who are still learning to ride somewhere to build skills before they try a trail. Two playgrounds split by age mean toddlers and grade-schoolers each get their own space. The pavilion and restrooms make it practical to spend a whole afternoon there.

What was already on the property

GE Trails has been here a while, and the park adds to it. The Rome-Floyd Trails guide, dated June 2021, describes three loop trails built for mountain bikes. They cross about half of the 123 acres and add up to roughly 4 miles. It also describes a 1.2-mile walking trail around the edge of the property, named for Bob and Peggy Moore, whom the guide calls local cycling enthusiasts.

Those numbers come from the 2021 guide, so think of them as a general description of the trail system, not a fresh count. Still, they show how the property has worked until now. Four miles of bike loops mostly served people who already own a mountain bike and know how to ride one. The 1.2-mile perimeter trail was the easiest way in for walkers.

The new park sits right at that trail property. The pump track and pedal park fill the gap between a kid's first bike and the singletrack. The paths inside the park, along with its connection to GE Trails, make the playground and the trails one place to visit instead of two separate stops.

GE Trails is one of several trail systems around Rome. The same guide lists the downtown Heritage Riverway Trails System as more than 16.7 miles along all three rivers, with entrances at Ridge Ferry Park, Town Green, Heritage Park and other downtown spots. The city calls Garrard Park a new addition to Rome's outdoor recreation spaces.

How the park got built

Garrard Park is a partnership between the City of Rome and the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority. Most of the money came from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to the Housing Authority, and the city added its own share. WRGA reported this breakdown:

The city handled construction, and the Housing Authority handled the reimbursement requests, according to WRGA. The station also said the project had to be finished and open by October. The September update listed October 31 as the scheduled completion date. The city's October 14 announcement then set the public celebration for November 6.

The deadline helps explain how fast this went. In late May the playground was a set of concept drawings in front of a city committee, and five months later the park is about to open.

Rome's calendar through mid-November

The grand opening falls during a busy stretch on Rome's fall calendar. If you're planning a Friday afternoon at the new playground, here's what else is happening around town that day and over the next week:

The Rome International Film Festival listing promises screenings, Q&As with filmmakers and industry panels across four days. Since that listing went up in June, check the festival's current schedule before you build an evening around one screening.

Twilight on the Trails ties back to the park. The tourism office's listing describes it as an Italian-themed fundraiser for TRED and the AdventHealth ECO Greenway. Rome's 2026 transportation planning program also lists work to connect the Jackson Hill Trail Network to the AdventHealth Redmond ECO Greenway at the Ridge Ferry Park Trailhead. It also includes a fall 2026 funding application to update the area's bike, pedestrian and trail plan. These are listed as plans in the program, not finished projects. Garrard Park is the piece that has actually been built and is opening on a set date.

Getting there on opening day

The address is 1935 Redmond Circle, on the former GE site in West Rome. The ceremony starts at 3 p.m. on November 6. If your kids ride, bring their bikes, because the pump track and pedal park were built for exactly that. After the ceremony, the Moore perimeter trail is about 1.2 miles around the property's edge, a manageable walk for a family.

When your kids climb the control tower and slide down, they'll be on the property where Dr. Garrard built Rome's first airstrip.

I follow projects like Garrard Park closely because they show where Rome is putting its money and energy. If you want to talk about West Rome or anywhere else in Floyd County, Shawn Self is glad to help. Let's Connect.