Mayor-Elect Miller calls for renaming Macon City Auditorium in honor of Otis Redding

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb Mayor-Elect Lester Miller says county commissioners should hold off on renaming the Macon City Auditorium until the new administration is sworn in and can receive community input.

According to a post on his Lester Miller for Mayor Facebook Page, Miller is asking for input on renaming the auditorium in honor of the King of Soul Otis Redding.

The social media post comes as Macon-Bibb Commissioners are moving forward with a proposal to rename the Macon City Auditorium after former Mayor C. Jack Ellis.

Miller says he has reviewed the current SPLOST that will fund more than $10 million in renovations to the historic building. And he wants to request input from the county commission and stakeholders in January 2021.

In the Facebook post Miller goes on to say, “I do realize that the current administration has renamed other parks and buildings without community engagement in the past. Please do not consider this post as a slant against any particular person, or a place to vent against the current administration. I am merely seeking positive feedback on how we can move forward together.”

Mayor-elect Lester Miller and the Macon-Bibb Forward Transition Team are set to host a community meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Frank Johnson Recreation Center on the corner of Pio Nono Avenue and Mercer University Drive.

Miller’s team says the meeting is open to the public, but attendance will be limited to a capacity of 50 guests in accordance with CDC guidelines for COVID-19 recommendations. Guests will wear masks and practice social distancing.

Conversations about renaming the Macon City Auditorium come as it celebrates a 100 year anniversary.