As Macon-Bibb County moves into a new year, The Macon Newsroom previews 25 things to look for in 2025. The five-part series will publish on Dec. 24, 26, 30 and Jan. 1 and 3 and includes a variety stories from government, industry, education, business, arts and entertainment.
Movie studio planned at old Whiskey River campus
Filmmakers waiting for studio space in Atlanta and elsewhere may soon be able to make movies in Macon.
Macon Arts Center owner Anthony Kirkland is moving forward with plans to spend about $15 million building two sound stages and production facilities on 9.5 acres off 4570 Pio Nono Ave.
Kirkland, who grew up in Atlanta and now lives in Locust Grove, said he has been working in the entertainment industry since he was a teenager.
In 2019, he bought the old Whiskey River nightclub to hold concerts and events at the venue with the dream of opening a studio.
He expects to have about a year’s worth of work lined up before opening due to the high demand for movie production facilities. Kirkland expects to produce concert videos, as well, and eventually employ about 110 people.
The development could help revitalize that south side of town, he said.
Kirkland said the location, about 10 minutes down Ga. 247 from the Middle Georgia Regional Airport will be handy for those not wanting to fly in and out of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.
He anticipates having contracts signed and beginning construction in early 2025 and could be ready for clients later in the year.
Aaron Buzza, Visit Macon’s film liaison, has seen the need for a soundstage in Macon.
During a trip to the American Film Market conference in November, Buzza found filmmakers interested in coming to Macon.
“Everybody that I talked to about it out in Las Vegas was very receptive because it’s going to be much more approachable financially for them than trying to compete and get into Assembly Atlanta or one of the larger studio,” Buzza told the Visit Macon Board in December.
MWA’s rate hike takes effect but won’t be enough
The new year brings Macon Water Authority’s highest rate increase in recent years, but additional future hikes are expected.
Average residential customers using about 5,000 gallons of water a month are expected to pay about $12.50 more on their monthly bill beginning Jan. 1.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in projects are on the horizon to maintain and expand water and sewer services, restore crumbling infrastructure and address structural issues with the levee holding back the Ocmulgee River along Carolyn Crayton Park.
The authority hired Jacobs sustainability consultants to do a thorough review of the authority’s finances in the coming months before recommending additional revenue-generating measures.
In November, Jacobs’ Jason Bodwell told the authority it had some of the state’s lowest rates in recent years and suggested they create a tiered billing system that charges higher rates for those who use the most water.
“That’s what most communities do. They try to encourage people to conserve,” Bodwell said. “The more water you use, the more you pay. It’s a finite resource and should be conserved.”
MWA keeps separate books for its stormwater operation, which also will need to generate more revenue.
When Macon-Bibb was responsible for maintaining the storm water system prior to 2021, the county included an annual $2 million in the 2018 SPLOST to address stormwater issues.
If the county does not include stormwater in the 2025 SPLOST campaign, MWA could be looking for ratepayers also to pay higher stormwater fees to generate a greater portion of the $9.5 million budget.
Pedestrian safety projects aim to make streets safer
Pedestrian deaths dropped significantly in 2024 from a total of 15 people killed on Macon streets in 2023. Nine pedestrians had died in 2024 as of late December.
The Macon-Bibb County Pedestrian Safety Review Board hopes to continue the trend in 2025 as it strives to eliminate deadly crashes.
In the first quarter of 2025, board chairman Gregory Brown wants county contractor Peachtree Recovery to present data from the recent crashes in an effort to reduce any hazards identified in their report.
After a listening session at Disability Connections as part of October’s Pedestrian Safety Month, the board also will explore options to install pedestrian signals with audible warnings for the visually impaired and disabled.
“They are automated pedestrian signals that have a voice to it and count down,” Brown said.
Macon-Bibb’s Traffic Safety Manager Weston Stroud begins his second year on the job in January and is working on a multi-use trail known as the East Macon Loop.
The project is designed to improve pedestrian safety along Gray Highway from Shurling Drive to Clinton Road and back toward Boulevard, Curry Place and Glenridge Drive to meet up with the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail.
The loop would connect North Highlands Park to the Camelia Garden and trail.
Currently, there are no sidewalks between Shurling Drive and Wood Valley Road, which is a heavily traveled path to get to the Walmart and other stores and restaurants.
A federal grant with a five-year timeline for the project has been awarded, so Stroud is now doing environmental reviews and working on reports “to get on the same page with the feds,” he said. “It’s not an overnight thing.”
At the same time, NewTown Macon is exploring cutting a path from North Highlands Park through the woods along the Shirley Hills neighborhood boundary to connect to Jackson Springs Park and the trail.
Bibb Schools to share “preliminary scenarios” for consolidation
The Bibb County Schools’ Consolidation Steering Committee is expected to share plans for possible school closures as early as January.
“We’ll be hosting additional community forums where we’ll be starting to present preliminary scenarios for public feedback,” Deputy Superintendent Katika Lovett told the Board during its Dec. 19 meeting.
The dates for additional forums were not announced before the holiday break, but the focus will be in areas that might be most impacted by a closure.
The Consolidation committee is in phase three of four, with this phase focused on collecting community input.
Almost 1,500 people responded to the Bibb County School District’s community survey about school consolidation, which asks questions about potential benefits and concerns.
Parents have been the most frequent stakeholders to respond, but the group also includes teachers, students, administrators and community members.
“We believe consolidation support increases when clear benefits such as improved educational outcomes and financial efficiency are demonstrated,” Lovett told the Board. “So this underscores the importance of transparent and continued data driven communication.”
Lovett said the biggest concern raised in the surveys was that consolidation could lead to larger class sizes. Board members noted that consolidation doesn’t mean classes will get bigger, and reminded the community that the state has limits on class size.
The Board also raised some concerns about the “rumor mill” that decisions have already been made about which schools will close.
Lovett said “no decisions have been made” and the committee is using its webpage to share out video updates after each meeting.
“One easy thing we can do is a myths and assumptions video and talk about the truth,” Superintendent Dan Sims said.
The official consolidation process started in July 2024, and the final phase is scheduled to run from March to May and is labeled as “decision making and planning.”
The possibility of school consolidation has been discussed for nearly two years as the district faces declining enrollment and too many school buildings. Birth rates in the US declined following the 2008 recession meaning fewer students are entering K-12 education across the nation. — Debbie Blankenship
Armory Ballroom under new management as Overlook on First
At the first of the year, the old Armory Ballroom across from City Hall will reopen as Overlook on First.
“It has a great view of Poplar, First Street and downtown,” said Kaitlynn Kressin, who is taking over management of the event space in the building that is owned by the Griffith family.
Kressin is a local entrepreneur who owns and operates Just Tap’d, Fall Line Brewing Company and its event rental space, Kressin Realty and other ventures.
The celebrated downtown enthusiast and newest member of the Urban Development Authority spent recent weeks renovating and repainting the ballroom that has a capacity to seat 200 people.
She is not only excited about giving new life to the second floor of the 1884 building erected for Macon’s first military unit, but thrilled to be setting up her own corner office.
“I’m so grateful,” Kressin said “I’m 31 years old, started several businesses and never had my own office.”
— 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.
