Downtown Challenge aims to transform downtown Macon

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- The Community Foundation of Central Georgia is looking for the best community driven ideas to transform downtown Macon.

The Downtown Challenge is offering $3-million dollars towards ideas, small or large by individuals and organizations. The challenge focuses on the area of I-75, Emery Highway, 7th Street, and Little Richard Penniman Boulevard.

“Its based off of the Macon action plan, and over a thousand citizens gave their ideas for the Macon Action plan. What we hope is those same thousand, and more will bring their ideas to the Community Foundation to implement that plan”, said Kathryn Dennis, President of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.

The Peyton Anderson Foundation and the John S. and James I. Knight Foundation provided $3-million dollars in funding.

The Community Foundation says a successful project will focus on four community needs: opportunities, economic development to ensure that downtown Macon is competitive and attractive for new business, experience to build the local audience and keep the urban core clean and safe, living, to strengthen surrounding neighborhoods to offer the best of both worlds, downtown and in town living, and connectivity, to enhance safety and manage downtown’s parking system in a comprehensive manner.

For more information on how you can enter the challenge head to the challenge’s website, downtownchallengemacon.org.