College Hill Report to the Community
Download: College Hill Report to the Community (PDF)
The idea behind the College Hill initiative began with Mercer students seeking to revitalize the area by connecting campus to downtown Macon. The City of Macon and Mercer then took up the cause, leading to the creation of the College Hill Corridor Commission. The Commission soon attracted a $250,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to facilitate the creation of the College Hill Corridor Master Plan.
The Master Plan was the result of nearly a year of discussions and forums at sites throughout the Corridor, from houses to churches, on walking tours and at Mercer. Ideas from these public meetings were compiled by Philadelphia’s Interface Studio and developed into a plan that focuses on enhancing the Corridor as an ideal place to live, work, and play.
“The inclusive planning process, which brought the neighborhood together, involving and investing them in the project, has been key to the success of this project,” said Sarah Gerwig-Moore, co-chair of the College Hill Corridor Commission. “The Master Plan doesn’t belong to just Mercer or the city—it’s the entire community’s plan.”
Knight Foundation then granted $5 million to further the College Hill initiative. Mercer received $2 million for the three-year operation of the College Hill Alliance and $3 million was awarded to the Community Foundation of Central Georgia for the implementation of the Knight Neighborhood Challenge—a grant program that funds innovative ideas from local residents aimed at reshaping the unique area between Mercer and downtown Macon.