Macon-Bibb hits milestone of 500 blighted properties demolished
Macon-Bibb County reached a milestone on Tuesday with the demolition of 500 blighted properties in a two-year span.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb County reached a milestone on Tuesday with the demolition of 500 blighted properties in a two-year span.
Two blighted houses were demolished on Dewitt Street, marking Macon-Bibb 500th demolition since the “Blight Fight” began in 2021.
“This project is not just about demolishing what was a home, but it’s about a renewed spirit for the East Macon community,” Macon-Bibb Urban Development Authority Executive Director Alex Morrison said.
According to Morrison, the Mill Hill East Macon Arts Village was the first neighborhood built in the city of Macon, and it dates back to the 1800s.
The blighted properties also bordered the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. With the properties now gone, the Urban Development Authority hopes it will create the opportunity to expand the park into what will be Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve.
“The Urban Development Authority feels very strongly that we need to be good partners with the original occupants of this land and to provide them an opportunity to own property here again and exercise dominion in the place that was once their capital city,” Morrison said.
Morrison says the Urban Development Authority is working closely with the Muscogee Nation to honor the land’s 17,000 years of history. They also plan to develop a cultural center in the Mill Hill neighborhood.
But according to Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Elaine Lucas, the fight against blight isn’t just about preserving history:
“It’s a new highway, a new interchange,” Lucas said. “It’s new properties, because not only are these old properties coming down, but new ones are going to be built on these sites, and we have a housing shortage here, so it’s going to address that.”
In short, the Blight Fight is about rejuvenating neighborhoods and helping Macon become a safer, more affordable place to live.
In 2013, homes in the Mill Hill neighborhood were tax assessed at under $10,000. Since then, all properties have been sold to owners, putting money back into the county’s budget.
“It has put over $1.1 million back onto the tax rolls of Macon-Bibb County and provided an affordable opportunity for home ownership for people to build well for another generation,” Morrison said.
Commissioner Lucas says she’s happy Macon-Bibb residents voted on tax initiatives so the county could have funds for the Blight Fight. According to Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller, the initiative saves the county hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
