New Macon blight projects could take off in 2016

Macon residents likely will see some of the $10 million set aside to tackle blight being spent on projects in 2016.

A preliminary list of 15 projects compiled from suggestions made by Bibb County officials, churches and organizations is being evaluated, and plans call for introducing a large group of projects to commissioners. While 2015 was the year commissioners divvied up the money, created a blight committee and hired a consultant, 2016 will see the beginning of the grunt work to launch some of the initiatives.

Each of the nine commissioners has $1 million to spend on blight while another $1 million will be spent on waste disposal and community engagement.

"I don't want to piecemeal the process and come in every day with one project here, one project there," said Cass Hatcher, who was hired as the county's blight consultant. "I want (commissioners) to approve a pool of projects."

Hatcher stressed that this list of 15 is not final, but instead is a group of projects he's assessing. There have been good intentions behind each of the projects already suggested, but there's a limited amount of money and certain requirements that have to be met in order to get funded. Each of them will need an "end user," someone who is willing to take over a particular lot or building and turn it into something sustainable, Hatcher said.

"Funding is critical, but the capacity to be able to create a (sustainable) project at the end of the day is what matters," Hatcher said. "I want to see the capacity, the ability to put it back on the tax rolls. The process will take time, and we ask for a little bit of patience."

EARLY LIST OF POTENTIAL BLIGHT PROJECTS

Hatcher is in the early stages of examining the 15 potential blight projects that span across six of the nine Macon-Bibb County Commission districts.

The list includes creating a potential park on Houston Avenue, redeveloping properties in the Bellevue neighborhood, and making improvements behind Williams Elementary School in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood that would create a walkable environment for students.

Meanwhile some commissioners already have pledged money toward restoring the Clinton Street auditorium into a community center that will be part of an arts village. Another idea on Hatcher's list ties into plans already underway at the former Hunt Elementary School on Shurling Drive.

"That whole area is getting a facelift with the Hunt senior housing project getting off the ground very soon," Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Elaine Lucas said.

One of the goals would be finding an investor who's able to renovate some of the neighborhood's homes into a cottage community, she said.

Another of the 15 possible projects is building a small community center in the east Macon neighborhood of Kings Park that could serve as a "catalyst" for some redevelopment in the neighborhood, Lucas said.

Plans for neighborhood revitalization also will take place in Commissioner Larry Schlesinger's district that includes sections of downtown as well as south and east Macon. He has described his neighborhood as the "kingdom of blight" with about 390 structures considered blighted, according to a list of properties identified by the county.

"Anytime we can get some type of public-private partnership to address these situations, I think we're probably going to be more effective," Schlesinger said.

One of Schlesinger's goals is to team up with a neighborhood organization to turn a now-blighted lot into a park. Another idea is to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity in the Lynmore Estates neighborhood where the nonprofit has had a presence for years,

Some of the other prospective projects Hatcher is surveying include creating a recreation field in Pleasant Hill, and a street connection in an area known as Booger Bear Bottom. Several streets in that Unionville community are blocked off from Straight Street. Reconnecting them might "redevelop the (community) into a neighborhood again," Hatcher said.

LENGTHY PROCESS TO COMPLETE BLIGHT PROJECTS

The process to complete blight projects will take time since it involves not only identifying the projects, but also acquiring them, demolishing the structures and more. If an owner doesn't want to sell, then simply going through foreclosure can often take at least six months. That's why it's important to have a team that can handle various steps, including the Macon-Bibb County Land Bank Authority, which will help acquire the properties, Hatcher said.

The ultimate goal is neighborhood revitalization, and a key term for that is "critical mass" -- finding a group of houses in a community that can attract developers. Those projects might be able to receive funding through various sources from the federal and local governments or from a private investor.

"This $10 million is just a drop in the bucket compared to what is out there," Hatcher said. "I've been to places in Macon I didn't realize existed as I started to do my assessment. We have a lot of work to do."

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter@stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published January 1, 2016 at 9:29 PM with the headline "New Macon blight projects could take off in 2016 ."