Mayor clarifies Cherry Blossom Festival ‘threat’ of relocation

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert told the County Commission on Tuesday that there was a threat from a Cherry Blossom Festival official to relocate events held at Central City Park due to a construction project.

But after Tuesday’s meeting, the mayor clarified that it wasn’t a threat. Reichert said he reassured the official, festival President Jake Ferro, that the $3.6 million in ugprades would not impede the festival. Ferro is not trying to “coerce” officials to stall the project around the time of the festival, Reichert said.

“We are trying to make reasonable accommodations,” he said.

Several attempts by The Telegraph to reach Ferro on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Reichert and Clay Murphey, who oversees sales tax projects for the county, said that construction where the festival takes place — the front area of the park — would be finished in time for next year’s events, planned for March 24-April 2.

Central City Park’s renovations would include building four multipurpose fields, installing new sidewalks and restrooms, constructing a skate park and other upgrades. The contract with International City Builders is expected to be voted on by the full commission Sept. 6.

There may be some construction still taking place around the ballfields during the weeklong event, but that won’t affect the vendors orpeople in attendance, Murphey said.

The request from Ferro was to delay construction for several weeks leading up to and after the festival, Murphey said.

Delaying the project would cost the county about $60,000.

“Construction will not impede the Cherry Blossom,” Murphey said during Tuesday’s Operations and Finance Committee meeting. “Cherry Blossom asked us to shut down all work, and we said we cannot do that.”

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Mayor clarifies Cherry Blossom Festival ‘threat’ of relocation."