Community center to replace blighted properties on Lynmore Ave.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Community members in Macon-Bibb are saying out with the old and in with the new. City officials began demolition on the first of 19 abandoned properties on Monday.

“We’ve dedicated about $200,000 dollars in district two blight funds,” said Commissioner Larry Schlesinger. Residents gathered to watch the demolition of three blighted properties on Lynmore Ave.

“This neighborhood has been neglected for years, so this is a way of changing the community through adding something positive,” said S.M.A.R.T president Antonio Brown. Brown played a vital role in bringing the project to life.

Commissioner Larry Schlesinger announced future plans for the soon to be vacant lot space.

“It’s really the way that neighborhood revitalization should go, which means that you don’t just demolish and take down but you demolish and take down for some greater purpose.”

That greater purpose is coming in the form of a community center and playground. This is the second round of blight removals in a three phase project. City officials expect phase 2 to be completed by February 24th.

Resident Marie Hamilton says the neighborhood needs a playground.

“The neighborhood children were playing in the street. Especially the young men doing their basketball, and the neighbors were complaining about it,” she said.

“The closest place for kids to play is Memorial Park, and they would have to cross Eisenhower Parkway,” Brown added. Hamilton says the new park is a symbol of safety.

“It’s just tears of joy for our children to have a safe place to play, it’s beautiful just simply beautiful,” she continued.

Brown says seeing blighted properties around Macon-Bibb have become a normality for people living in districts 1, 2, 4 and 5.

“It’s become a way of life passing structures like this, and so it’s a way to have a sense of place, something to be proud of in your community, in your back yard,” he continued.

Schlesinger says it may be some time before the project is finished, but getting kids off the street is their number one priority.

“It’s been a while and this is something that could take a little longer before the playground gets here, but good things are worth waiting for and this could be a great thing.”

Ross says the new playground will also include a community center with state of the art technology. There’s no expected completion date for the park, but blight demolition will continue through early March.