MACON, GA.—Sept. 7—Historic Macon Foundation will recharge revitalization efforts in Macon’s Beall’s Hill neighborhood with $3 million in new support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Funding will be provided over the next five to seven years.
Related Link
“The next big step for Beall’s Hill in Macon, Ga.” by Ethiel Garlington and Emily Hopkins in Knight Blog
The support continues Knight’s commitment to completely restore 32 blocks of the Beall’s Hill neighborhood within the College Hill Corridor in partnership with Mercer University, Macon-Bibb County government and the Macon Housing Authority. Knight Foundation has supported Historic Macon’s revitalization efforts in the neighborhood as part of this public-private partnership since 2007.
New funding will help expand Historic Macon’s efforts to revitalize existing homes and develop new housing, as well as introduce energy-efficiency projects in the area. It will also continue down payment assistance to potential homeowners and a revolving loan program that encourages residents to improve the exterior appearance of their businesses and homes.
In addition to new funding from Knight, Macon-Bibb County is exploring funding for sidewalks, streetlights and other infrastructure improvements. Mercer University is providing $400,000 to the Mercer-Knight Down Payment Assistance Fund for new homeowners in the area.
“Over the past 50 years our organization has led the country in innovative preservation solutions, so we are proud to continue that tradition,” said Ethiel Garlington, executive director of Historic Macon Foundation. “As we embark on our next 50 years, we are thrilled to partner with the Knight Foundation to demonstrate how revitalizing a historic neighborhood can be a boon to Macon’s economy and enhance our community’s unprecedented momentum.”
“This renewed investment recognizes Historic Macon’s successes over the past eight years in leading the transformation of the city’s urban core into a more vibrant, diverse community where talent and opportunity can thrive,” said Beverly Blake, Knight Foundation program director in Macon. “The progress that has been made through our strong partnerships with Mercer University, Macon-Bibb County and others can serve as lessons in revitalization for cities across the country.”
“What is happening in the College Hill Corridor should be a national model for neighborhood revitalization because it is led by residents, businesses and organizations,” said Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert. “Working together on a shared vision and plan, we can have a greater impact than each of us on our own.”
“Mercer’s partnership with Knight Foundation on the down payment assistance program has enabled the university to further its efforts at talent recruitment and retention, while also bringing back to life one of Macon’s first neighborhoods,” said Mercer University President William D. Underwood. “The program also is one of the factors in Macon once again leading the state in the use of tax credits to rehabilitate historic structures, which is another tool that makes these homes more affordable for our faculty and staff.”
Historic Macon currently manages $1.35 million in loan funds for development activities in Macon. Since 2009, funds have been used to restore 27 historic buildings and build 16 new homes in Beall’s Hill. In addition, the Mercer-Knight Down Payment Assistance Fund has helped 39 of the university’s faculty and staff become homeowners in the College Hill Corridor.
Support for Historic Macon forms one part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to expand opportunities in Macon, while fostering talent retention and attraction. Since Knight made a $2 million investment to establish the College Hill Alliance in 2009, another $25 million in residential and commercial development in the Corridor has been leveraged from public and private sources, a 2012 independent evaluation commissioned by the foundation found. Continued revitalization of the Beall’s Hill neighborhood, improvements to Tattnall Square Park, the development of Mercer Village and Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism are among the most visible outcomes of the initiative. These efforts have resulted in $97 million in private and public investment since 2009.
About Historic Macon Foundation
Founded in 1964, Historic Macon Foundation is a nonprofit organization that revitalizes Macon by preserving architecture and sharing history. This year marks Historic Macon’s 50th anniversary of community revitalization and leading the nation in innovative tactics for historic preservation. For more information or to become a member, visit www.historicmacon.org or call 478-742-5084.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. www.knightfoundation.org
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University enrolls more than 8,300 students in 12 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing, health professions, and Penfield College of Mercer University – on campuses in Macon, Atlanta and Savannah – and four regional academic centers across the state. The Mercer Health Sciences Center includes the University’s medical, nursing, health professions and pharmacy schools. Mercer is affiliated with four teaching hospitals – Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and The Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus. The University also has educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. It operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon and an engineering research center in Warner Robins. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. www.mercer.edu
Contacts:
Ethiel Garlington, Executive Director, Historic Macon Foundation, 706-372-3383, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]