Eight ideas to come to life in College Hill

Last December, a citywide application process for the Knight Community Projects initiative called for the best ideas for enhancing the community to be submitted. The College Hill Corridor Commission, a volunteer group in Macon, received 47 submissions by February.

Grants for eight projects, underwritten by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, were announced Thursday morning.

One of the grants will help visitors find the first floor of Washington Memorial Library, which is home to a trove of information in the genealogy room, including the Middle Georgia Regional Archives.

"That is the leading space of its kind in the southeastern United States," Jennifer Lautzenheiser, director of Middle Georgia Regional Library, said at a news conference. "That means that we have visitors that come from all over the country ... to do research here and the problem is they can't find us."

A monument-quality sign marking the library will be installed across the street from the nearly identical sign currently marking Washington Park, Lautzenheiser said. Friends of the library will raise half of the cost of the sign.

"Now we will have the perfect bookend," Lautzenheiser said. "It will really welcome people to our community and set the tone for what they can expect when they travel throughout."

Across the street from the library at Washington Square Park, there will be more than just music at the Second Sunday Concerts. There will also be makers.

Nadia Osman, new director of SparkMacon, a makerspace on Cherry Street, said local makers of art and technology will be in the park with "interactive activities ranging from 3-D printing to crafting."

Another widely anticipated event has already been enhanced by a fresh idea.

The Magnolia Soapbox Derby, which started in 2009 with about four derbies racing down Magnolia Street, drew more than 40 cars this year, said derby organizer Chris Nylund. Thanks to the recently received grant, the derby race last weekend was clocked with electronic timing equipment.

"Instead of trying to get $15,000 to buy our own timing system, we bought a display for (Middle Georgia Region Sports Car Club of America's) timing system," Nylund said. "The cool thing is, (the timing system) improved our event, and it also tied us to another community organization."

Several other ideas also will share the $50,000 pool of grant money so they can be brought to life.

The Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority received money to conduct a traffic study and a landscape plan to create an urban trail head at the intersection of Appleton Lane and Columbus Street near the Bear's Den restaurant on Oglethorpe Street.

College Hill Corridor resident Brent Meyer received money to design a new and unique playground at Tattnall Square Park.

The Beall's Hill Neighborhood Association received funding to launch a branding campaign for the neighborhood including a logo, a website and light pole banners.

The Historic Macon Foundation received funding to launch a "#LiveInTheCorridor" marketing campaign to help attract new residents to College Hill.

Brad Belo, a resident of Beall's Hill neighborhood and an employee of the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission, received money to develop a traffic study and landscape plan that would include crosswalks at the intersection of College Street and Coleman Avenue.

"What all of these (ideas) tell me is that people really believe in the future of College Hill and want to make this continually a great place to live, work and play," said Beverly Blake, local program director for the Knight Foundation.

Individual dollar amounts awarded for each idea were not available Thursday afternoon.

To contact writer Laura Corley, call 744-4334 and follow her on Twitter @Lauraecor.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Eight ideas to come to life in College Hill ."