8 months ago
The effort to revitalize the College Hill corridor of Macon received a five-million-dollar boost today -- a grant from the Knight Foundation.
Mercer University president William Underwood announced the grant at a news conference in the Mercer Village retail district. Mayor Robert Reichert and Rep. Jim Marshall (D) of Macon were present for the announcement.
"We'll be able to increase the desirability of being here," Mayor Reichert said. 'The safety, the security. It's just going to be great, and it'll work both ways. It'll be a benefit to Mercer. It'll be a benefit to downtown."
The grant includes $3 million for the Community Foundation of Central Georgia and $2 million to Mercer University.
The money is intended to help revitalize and link neighborhoods from Mercer University to downtown Macon to create a "college town" atmosphere.
"I hope in less than a year we see bike lanes. I hope we see signs that say--Welcome to College Hill Corridor--I hope that you're able to see new businesses," said Matt Wetherington, a Mercer student and member of the College Hill Corridor Commission. "I hope to see nightlife, students intermingling with members of the community in downtown Macon and near Mercer University."
The $3 million for the community foundation will fund residents' own ideas for to improve parks and other public spaces in the corridor and spur the growth of the arts and entertainment scene.
The $2 million for Mercer will fund the College Hill Alliance, which will implement the master plan to improve the neighborhood and work to attract private development.
This $5 million grant will be the sole funding for College Hill Corridor at this time, but they say they hope this will be a launching pad for more grants in the future.
"We do deserve this money and we deserve even more because Macon has more to offer than anywhere else in the country, and I truly believe that," said Wetherington.
