Fairburn’s long-awaited recreation program just got the go-ahead, and with it Assistant Fire Chief Stephen Hood just acquired another role. And what happens next will propel Fairburn into a new direction, a citizen-driven endeavor intended to benefit the city’s younger citizens.

With his duties expanded as director of the city’s Parks & Recreation department, Hood described the initial projects and explained how citizens can help mold the budding program. The department has an initial budget of $100,000 intended to get the program up and running, Hood said Wednesday.

One of the initial goals is to form a relationship with the youth athletic associations that handle baseball, football and soccer, Hood said. But there is more. Much more. Along with hosting activities at Duncan Park, another goal currently being implemented is the renovation of the old Chevrolet dealership on Roosevelt Highway and Church Street.

The rear of the building is being renovated to house an interim fire station while the front portions of the building, to be completed in two phases after completion of the fire station component, will house the recreation center. The first phase of the recreation center, expected to be 5,000-6,000 square feet in size, will include a gym with a multi-purpose court for basketball and other court sports, Hood said. The second phase will see the remainder of the building outfitted with meeting and activity rooms.

The recreation department was formed in response to citizens requests to have the city help provide an outlet for youth activities, Hood said. And residents should continue their participation by providing their own input on the direction the department should take in meeting recreation needs. Hood asked that residents visit the city’s website, www.fairburn.com, and click on the Parks & Recreation Department and the “Send an email” section under the parks list to provide suggestions on the types of classes and activities they would like.

“This will help make it a citizen-driven department,” Hood said. “We’ll start with a basic catalogue of classes from citizen input and we’ll grow from there.”

Hood said citizens will be notified of the progress at the new recreation center and the facility’s opening date on the city’s website and on information provided with utility bills.