First demolition completed for Warner Robins’ Operation Reawaken

Out with the old and in with the new. That's the goal of Operation Reawaken – a new initiative being led by the City of Warner Robins and Mayor LaRhonda Patrick.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Out with the old and in with the new. That’s the goal of Operation Reawaken – a new initiative being led by the City of Warner Robins and Mayor LaRhonda Patrick.

In August, the city purchased six properties in $2 million using 2012-2018 SPLOST revenue with the goal of replacing them with residential and commercial properties to create a new downtown core.

The first demolition happened on Wednesday.

“The City of Warner Robins is owning its spot as a hub,” Mayor Patrick said Wednesday, adding the redevelopment will include places where residents and visitors can shop and take part in different activities.

Ken McCall, the owner of McCall’s Tastes to Remember, located directly across the street from the first demolition site, says he’s seen the Commercial Circle area become run down over the past 30 years.

“I hope we see a whole new downtown Warner Robins, a resurgence of this whole area,” he said, adding the city has not approached him about his property.

Mayor Patrick says an even larger demolition is in the works for properties across the street from the first demolition site. She has plans to have the entire redevelopment complete by the end of her first term in 2026.