After 59 years, the Middle Georgia Regional Commission begins a new era at the Macon Mall — its third location since 1965.
The change of address from Emery Highway to the mall’s lower level near the old Sears store gave the opportunity for a revitalized image and a fresh start for the organization that supports 11 counties and 20 cities.
Not only is the commission a go-to agency for economic development, planning and public administration, technology services and transportation, but the MGRC is Middle Georgia’s area agency on aging.
Each local government pays dues of $1.30 per resident, per year, which brings in about $1.2 million. Federal grants and state contracts provide the bulk of the $11.6 million annual budget.
Even before they got settled in at the mall, MGRC Executive Director Laura Mathis thanked Macon-Bibb County for their new space during the commission’s August meeting that was held off site during the move.
“It’s fabulous. It’s exactly designed to meet our needs with some room to grow,” Mathis said. “It’s the first time in 30 years that we have furniture that matches. That’s very exciting. It is!”
By Thursday night, the Commission was ready for company at its annual meeting of the 60-member council and invited guests. They filled bingo cards, marking off spots visited as they toured MGRC’s new office and other Macon-Bibb County offices, Rhythm & Rally pickleball facility, library and new courtrooms.
As they guided visitors through the facility, staff sported crisply-new white shirts bearing the commission’s updated logo and colors.
Lowercase turquoise letters “mgrc” are outlined in navy ending with an upward arrow symbolizing growth and progress.
The turquoise represents wisdom, tranquility, protection, good fortune and loyalty while paying homage to the aged copper roofs of downtown in a nod to the agency’s “well-aged connection to Middle Georgia.” Navy represents knowledge, trustworthiness, peace and the calmness of the commission’s role as trusted advisor.
The smooth lines and interconnectivity of the font and outline pay tribute to the region’s vital resources or roads, railways and rivers, according to the logo’s description in the annual report.
But as the organization looks to the future, they are also paying tribute to its past which began as the Regional Development Center in an office in the Grand Opera House on Mulberry Street before making the move to Emery Highway in 1994.
They moved the memorial plaque honoring former director Ralph Nix to the new main conference room and named two other meeting rooms Emery and Mulberry in tribute to the former locations.
(Liz Fabian)
With little time to spare before Thursday’s gathering, staff transferred the block letters off their old building to spell out “Middle Georgia Regional Commission” over the dark blue arch framing the new doorway.
“(Designers) showed us the concept of what the front door could look like and we fell in love,” Mathis said.
While the general public may not be as familiar with MGRC as their elected officials, the work is everywhere.
There’s hardly a sector the commission does not touch, from protecting Robins Air Force Base from closure by buying properties in the encroachment zone, coordinating regional projects, such as the solar fields of Project SOAP near the countyline of Bibb and Houston, or assisting with grant applications, providing technical assistance, planning, web design and printing, or making sure senior citizens have something to eat and a place to live.
“It’s interesting because we work with our smallest local governments and our largest local governments. It’s just in different ways. We meet them wherever they are, whatever service they need,” Mathis said. “We are available to help that local government figure out how we can support them in accomplishing their mission and their vision for their community.”
The commission also was the first organization to use the new community rooms at Macon Mall.
“It’s really exciting to see this room filled up,” said Alex Morrison, executive director of the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority. “We’re really excited we can have events here and we’re really excited to inject hope into this part of Macon.”
Nearly every hand in the room went up as architect Gene Dunwody asked, “Who used to come to Macon Mall?”
Dunwody spent his early career trying to help downtown recover from the loss of business when the mall opened and now turned the tables to bring traffic back to the mall.
“This place is part of our DNA,” Dunwody said. “Hopefully this space will be functional for generations to come.”
The annual meeting also brought the area agency for aging full circle with AARP’s Age-Friendly Community program.
In 2012, with MGRC’s guidance and the leadership of Myrtle Habersham, Macon became the nation’s first Age-Friendly community under AARP’s new network.
A few years ago, the concept of having regional age-friendly designations was born, but organizers asked the MGRC to allow other regions to go first.
Kay Sibetta, AARP’s associate state director for community outreach, brought accolades for the organization.
“You all are trailblazers and we’re here to celebrate,” Sibetta said. “We have the whole state of Georgia to have that designation.”
“We’re excited to be the last piece of the puzzle,” Mathis said as she accepted the commission’s AARP Age-Friendly plaque.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
