In a unanimous decision Monday night, the Rincon City Council voted to purchase the Lions Club property on Lexington Avenue.

The 5.51-acre property virtually splits the Macomber Park property, so this addition will give the city Recreation Department a much larger, contiguous area for sports and other activities.

City Attorney Raymond Dickey told council that with approval, the city would be entering into a lease-purchase agreement with the Lions Club over a five-year period. That is because the city is not allowed to be in debt for more than one year.

Under the agreement, the city will make payments in the fourth quarter of this year and then equal payments in each of the next four years. The property will be deeded to the city with the provision that should the city at any point decide not to go forward with the purchase, the property would be deeded back to the Lions Club. The purchase price is $341,000.

David Wooten, director of the Rincon Recreation Department, told council that the acquisition would in effect double the city’s recreational capacity and would add four new ballparks. He said that this addition might enable the city to get into the tournament business, bringing a lot of teams and business to Rincon.

He said that tournament players really like to be able to play at the same location and this move will allow that. The expansion will also increase parking capacity at the site.

“Having that property will alleviate that congestion there,” Wooten said.  

The addition of the 8,979 square foot building also will provide the rec department adequate office space for the first time. In fact, Vernon Gordy of the Lions Club said that a Sunday school class that used the building had recently created rooms within the building that could easily serve that purpose. He also said the building could accommodate banquets and meetings.