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.
National Park status pending but Bicentennial Park will be ready
Political wrangling in December kept Congress from voting to establish Georgia’s first national park at Ocmulgee Mounds, but local leaders are not giving up.
Representatives of the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative are optimistic Congress will take that vote in the first half of 2025.
Whatever happens in Washington, D.C., Macon-Bibb County’s Urban Development Authority expects Bicentennial Park to be completed off Clinton Street as a possible new gateway to the mounds.
In 2023, the Macon-Bibb County Bicentennial Committee raised about a million dollars to design and build a new gathering spot as its signature project next to the Mill Hill Community Arts Center.
The Macon City Auditorium, which marks its centennial in 2025, was built to celebrate the city’s first 100 years. If the 2025 SPLOST passes, the auditorium could get new bathrooms on the main floor.
Landscape architect Wimberly Treadwell, whose great-grandfather helped design the auditorium, drew the plans for Bicentennial Park.
World-renowned artists created pieces for the park that help tell the history of Macon, including being home to Native Americans for thousands of years.
Although it’s considered a “passive park,” Treadwell preserved enough open space to adequately host Indigenous Native American stickball games, which is a lacrosse-like sport invented centuries ago.
At the edge of the field, a bronze statue of a stickball player will stand in front of a huge chunk of Georgia granite bearing remembrances of the land’s first inhabitants.
The artwork, including wind sculptures commissioned by UDA a few years ago, is expected to be installed in February with a grand opening ceremony planned later in the year.
UDA’s Alex Morrison also is working with the National Park Service to unleash federal grant funds that were approved to renovate the Dewitt McCrary house across from the park. The old east Macon home of one of its earliest city residents will become the Cultural Center for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which is expected to help manage the national park.
Natural products store host grand opening
Downtown Macon’s newest retail establishment, Mossy Creek Natural, will host its grand opening at 11 a.m. on Jan. 16 at 552 Cherry St.
In 2015, Michelle and Dan Rhoades founded their Mossy Creek Natural business inspired by an shop in England they visited that catered to nature-inspired bath and body products.
Michelle developed a passion for the natural scents of herbs, essential oils and aromatic essences, and began making soaps, according to their website.
The Rhoades began crafting their own formulations in their home kitchen and eventually moved to new locations as the business grew.
By 2015, they opened their first store front on Carroll Street in downtown Perry. Less than a decade later, they branched out to downtown Macon.
The new shop sells eco-friendly refillable packaging for liquid soap, laundry detergent, and cleaning products to reduce waste.
“Mossy Creek Natural is an excellent alternative to traditional stores, allowing you to reduce waste and make natural, sustainable choices for your everyday life,” their website states.
The owners’ daughter, Ivy Rhoades, said they also feature merchandise from 20 to 30 small businesses specializing in jewelry, women’s clothing, candles, gifts and some household goods, such as serving pieces and cocktail glasses.
“Meet the artist” cards are hung throughout the store that give a little information about those entrepreneurs.
“We want people to have that connection with the makers who put their love and life into these products,” Ivy Rhoades said.
The Macon location’s hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Macon-Bibb SPLOST election planned for March 18
Macon-Bibb County’s mayor and county commissioners called for a special election March 18 for voters to determine whether to continue paying an extra penny on the dollar in local sales tax for 10 more years or until $450 million is raised.
The 2018 SPLOST was forecast to reach its cap of $280 million by the end of September 2025, but could hit the mark sooner, which prompted the spring election.
County leaders want a seamless transition into the 2025 SPLOST by securing citizen’s approval before the 2018 tax sunsets so business owners won’t have to reprogram cash registers that calculate the tax.
After consulting new and returning county commissioners, Mayor Lester Miller compiled a list of potential SPLOST projects including money for road repairs, a regional or local jail, airport construction projects and entertainment and civic venues.
At their final meeting of 2024, commissioners approved the following language to go on the ballot in 2025: Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in Macon-Bibb County for the raising of $450,000,000 for the purpose of funding the following: a capital outlay project or projects consisting of road, street, or bridge purposes, which purposes may include paving, street lights, sidewalks, bicycle paths, or other pedestrian, public or user safety enhancements, or any combination of such purposes, a capital outlay project or projects consisting of public safety faciliteis, capital ewuipment used for public safety purposes, or, in the operation of public safety facilities, or any combination of such purposes; a capital outlay project or projects for economic development purposes to create jobs or promote private investment, which purposes may include airport facilities, or any transportation facility designed for the transportation of people or goods, or capital equipment used for, or in the operation of, such facilities, or a combination of such projects: a capital outlay project or projects consisting of administrative buildings, a civic center, a convention center, a coliseum, local or regional solid waste handling facilties, local or regional recoverd materials processing faciliteis, a local or regional jail, correctional institution, or other detention facility, a judicial facility, or any combination of such projects; a capital outlay project or projects consisting of a recreational facility or a historic facility or a facility for some combination of such purposes, which purposes may include a park or greenspace, or both; a water capital outlay project, a sewer capital outlay project a water and sewer capital outlay project, a stormwater capital outlay project, or a combination of such projects, to be owned or operated or both by Macon-Bibb County or the Macon Water Authority; retiring previously incurred general obligation debt or revenue bond debt secured by intergovernmental contract or a combination of such purposes; or any combination of two or more of the foregoing capital outlay projects, which may include any necessary demolition.
Commissioner Valerie Wynn encouraged all Bibb County voters to read the project list before going to the polls.
Eco-friendly, one-stop convenience store planned for south Bibb
Businessman Jaymin Patel believes he can save customers time and money by morphing the convenience store prototype into a “revolutionary commercial hub.”
Patel’s plan for a “One Leaf” store with fuel pumps at 7050 Houston Road features a solar-powered canopy, EV charging stations, a restaurant, multiple drive-thrus and a mixed-use commercial building with space for other tenants in service industries such as accountants, hair stylists or bankers.
In fall of 2022, he opened the prototype in Albany but intends to prioritize aesthetics, functionality and sustainability in the Macon location.
“One Leaf” isn’t just a destination; it’s a catalyst for community engagement and partnerships. We envision collaborative ventures with local businesses and artisans, fostering a sense of belonging and support,” Patel stated in the application that was approved by Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning on Dec. 10.
P&Z only signed off on Patel’s first phase of the plan to build the store on a seven-acre parcel at the corner of Houston and Sardis Church roads across from the South Bibb Recreation Center.
The 5,900-square-foot building with six fuel islands will anchor the plaza that is expected to include a picnic area landscaped with fruit trees.
“From hosting community events to embracing future innovations, our plaza is poised to evolve and adapt, driving long-term impact on the local economy and beyond,” the application stated.
No construction timetable was given for the project.
Macon leaders seek community input for strategic planning
Macon-Bibb County leaders will look at the results of the latest OneMacon! Survey to plan strategy for the future.
OneMacon! Is seeking community input into January from local residents that will be used to shape a larger strategic plan for community and economic development. OneMacon! first launched in 2014 and pulled together more than 40 partner organizations across Macon-Bibb. The initiative is focused on fostering economic development,
strengthening the local economy and enhancing the quality of life for all residents. The last strategic plan ran from 2020 until 2024 and focused on economic revitalization, talent and education, and quality of life.
The short survey asks residents to rank their priorities for the community as it relates to things like affordable housing, jobs and job training, education, recreational and cultural activity and small business development. Residents can access the survey here.
Earlier strategic plans included goals like an increased tax base and improved graduation rate.
Developers and urban planners also have the newly released Macon Action Plan XL to guide decisions for smart growth for the benefit of residents and visitors. — Debbie Blankenship
— 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.
