October 4th, 2025 – 5:25 PM
Ethan Garrett – WRGA Digital News Editor & Video Reporter –
The City of Rome celebrated the completion of the Unity Point Plaza project on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew a crowd.
The project, funded through a 2013 SPLOST package, focused on rehabilitating the site, which was originally created to honor the 1996 Olympics in Georgia.
Rome Mayor Craig McDaniel addressed criticism regarding the project, explaining that SPLOST funding for the project was essential and that the location came with unique challenges from ongoing riverbank erosion.
Stephen Bontekoe, with Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, explained how the organization became involved with the project and the engineering efforts aimed at stopping further erosion along the riverbank.
City Manager Sammy Rich shared his excitement about the project and what it means for the future of Downtown Rome.
Unity Point Plaza sits beside the Robert Redden Footbridge and Bridgepoint Plaza, at the confluence where the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers meet to form the Coosa River.