McDonough Takes Next Step to Add Landscaping on the Square

The McDonough council voted Monday night to move forward with plans for new landscaping on the McDonough Square. They will now solicit bids from interested vendors.

McDonough Square Landscaping

Last June, McDonough hired landscape designer and Georgia native Carmen Johnston to develop a landscape plan. The McDonough Main Street board and Councilman Scott Reeves championed moving forward with a new plan. At the time, McDonough and Henry County split the $10,000 plan cost 50 / 50.

Many may not know this, but the original county courthouse in the 1800s was in the center of the square. Henry County has always retained the ownership of the property in the square center. That has led to a long-standing agreement whereas Henry County owns the square and McDonough maintains it. According to Mayor Sandra Vincent, the county has expressed there’s no interest in selling the land to the city.

The county’s ownership of the square becomes more relevant because they retain the right to approve any new structures. The center of the square has been vacant since Henry County removed the Confederate statue in July 2020. McDonough has expressed interest in a new fountain to fill that space. At this time, the county has not approved a fountain’s installation.

On Monday, September 16, the city council approved moving forward with new landscaping on the square. They will solicit bids from landscape companies to follow the 2023 plan. The bid will also consider enhanced lighting within the square.

The city does not have a cost estimate for the new landscaping. Instead, they are awaiting to receive bids before determining the cost. The installation costs for new landscaping will be solely paid by the city.

During the discussion, council members described the McDonough Square as their ”beach front property.” It welcomes residents and guests into the city. They also indicated they would like to continue discussions with the county about the potential fountain.

The council unanimously approved moving forward with the request for proposals.

Editor’s correction: the original article referred to Carmen Johnson as a landscape architect. That has been corrected to landscape designer.

Featured image shows the Henry County Courthouse. Clayton Carte photo.