1-28-2024 4:23pm

Looking to the Future: What Will Macon's Urban Core Look Like in 2027?

Nate Weeks Editor

Washington Square Park is now one of the pleasant places to sit and enjoy Downtown Macon or listen to a band perform (Photographer Nate Weeks)

Many creative minds met up recently to discuss what the future of Macon's urban core might look like at NewTown Macon's Macon Action Plan (MAP) Open House.

The open house event also looked back at the 2015 Macon Action Plan (MAP) and the effect it had on the recent changes in the urban core of Macon, the area from Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park over to the Mercer campus.

The original MAP was described as a "community-driven planning process" that identified things that needed to be improved for the urban core of Macon.

MAP was a special project of the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority (UDA), the City of Macon, and their partners and was funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Peyton Anderson Foundation. It was approved in October 2015 and focused on the next five years of development.

While at the Tubman African American Museum this week for the open house, attendees were invited to write down what they most wanted to developed soon in Macon's urban core.

The following word cloud is composed of some of the suggestions for future development.

The most common suggestion was for a grocery store: two attendees wanted an Aldi grocery store in particular. Suggestions around food were also popular, including more healthy food. Other ideas included entertainment or supper clubs, a food court with authentic foods from other cultures, and a museum.

The following are more items that those in attendance wanted to see in the next few years:

Downtown Playground
Trader Joes
Capital support for black-owned businesses
Zero Waste Program
Activities for Seniors
Fill holes in the walls of the auditorium
No more dollar stores or gas stations
Downtown museum of art
Support historic neighborhoods from commercial infringement
More public art
Heritage Cultural Conservation
Address and fix the food dessert situation
No more lofts, more diverse businesses
Food co-op brick and mortar
Adult dance club
Study of existing vacant upper floors in historic buildings
Decent paying jobs
Authentic Spanish and Puerto Rican restaurants
More ethnic foods, less bar food
Skating Rink and updated community centers
Thai Food
Kid's museum
More handicapped spots
Outside café and picnic area at Tubman Museum and helping Tubman build out a kitchen to serve various chefs and people
Make more events at recreation centers that are already in place

Using suggestions from citizens at past events, NewTown Macon presented the suggestions they are focusing on making realities in and around Downtown Macon from 2022 to 2027.

NewTown Macon also reflected on the previous areas chosen to focus on improving. Anyone who is familiar with the last five or so years of development around Downtown Macon will notice that many of NewTown's goals for development in the past five years were met.

The previous focuses by NewTown Macon included:

Downtown storefronts/businesses increased
Downtown "alive and fun", "coming back to life" with residents
Economic growth
Increased population density and people

NewTown Macon's focuses from now until 2027 include:

More green space, walking biking only
Pleasant Hill cleanup
Redevelop surface parking lots at the edge of downtown
Diverse offerings of retail
More affordable housing
Supporting National Park Visitation
More safe places/activities for young people
More shade trees, more kid-friendly spaces, dedicated shady bike lanes

Hopefully, the future of Macon's urban core will include more good food, fun entertainment, outside recreation opportunities, and educational museums (and perhaps less gas stations).

If you weren't able to make it to give your own input into the future of the urban core of Macon, you can still visit the Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority's website to review the ideas already submitted and to give your own comments.

This video from 2021 describes the 2020 Macon Action Plan Refresh and Downtown Challenge