When Macon-Bibb County civic leaders meet, The Macon Newsroom is likely in the room. As is our tradition, we close out the year’s reporting with what we’ve learned to expect in 2026. The rest of this “26 for 2026” five-part series will publish December 29, and January 1.
12 New perinatal home health visits
In 2026, high-risk pregnant women and new mothers in Central Georgia will have added resources in the privacy of their homes to improve birth outcomes under a new Perinatal Home Visiting Program.
North Central Health District Health Director Dr. Kim Cook told the Macon-Bibb County Board of Health that the district received a $720,000 grant to implement the program in seven of the district’s 13 counties: Bibb, Jones, Peach, Baldwin, Wilkinson, Hancock and Washington.
The program to improve birth outcomes is expanding from pilot programs in other parts of the state.
A registered nurse will lead the program with two other RNs and someone in customer service to handle administrative tasks.
“Our team works closely with expectant and new parents, helping them navigate pregnancy, birth, and early childhood with confidence. By meeting families where they are, we build meaningful relationships, reduce barriers to care, and make a real difference in maternal and child health outcomes,” the RN job description states.
The home visits, clinical assessment and care management services are free to the mothers, but the health department can bill insurance for the services.
“Ideally, the nurse would come into the home in between their OB visits, pre- and post-partum, and assess the woman clinically. Also postpartum, will assess the woman and the child up to a year of age, and there’s no cost to the woman whatsoever, no out of pocket costs,” Cook said. “It’s a great program that has received a lot of support throughout the state.”
Once the program is up and running early next year, the health department will accept referrals from doctors and DFCS, but pregnant women also can enroll themselves.
13 Renovated Rosa Parks Square officially opens
The birthday of the late Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks will mark the rebirth of Macon’s civic square named in her honor.
Rosa Parks Square across from City Hall is expected to officially reopen on Feb. 4, which would have been Parks’ 113th birthday.
While Stafford Builders removed the fencing before the launch of the Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza, the finishing touches were not complete.
Monuments removed from the park before the more than $2M renovation will be reinstalled, including a marker for the city’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Rodney Davis.
and other tributes to local Civil Rights leaders such as Ozzie Bell McKay, for whom the park was initially dedicated during the tenure of Mayor George Israel in the 80s.
Parks does not have a specific tie to Macon, but former Mayor Jack Ellis attended her funeral and received permission from her family to name the civic square in her honor.
The redesign was birthed in the Macon Action Plan of 2015 Macon, but the notion of creating a civic square across from City Hall goes back to 1978 in the early days of the Urban Development Authority.
14 Josh Rogers honors in his beloved downtown
Macon-Bibb County and NewTown Macon plan to honor the memory of downtown champion Josh Rogers with a street dedication in 2026.
Plans are underway to designate Third Street between Poplar and Cherry streets in Rogers’ honor.
The former NewTown President and CEO collapsed and died while out on a run through downtown on Nov. 24, 2024, leaving behind his wife, Meghan, and children, Jack and Ellie.
The Macon-Bibb County Commission during its Nov. 18 meeting approved the honor and up to $500 from the general fund to pay for signage and other expenses.
In his 10 years at the NewTown helm, Rogers oversaw the rebirth of downtown Macon after previously serving as executive director of the Historic Macon Foundation.
The Downtown Business Improvement District also plans a family-friendly park in that Third Street block that will bear Rogers’ name.
15 Neel’s Lofts to open in spring
Inaugural residents of the new Neel’s Lofts will be moving in during the spring of 2026.
The L-shaped residential 95-loft building that fronts Cherry and Third streets is expected to open in March, which is when hundreds will line downtown streets for festival races and the parade.
Developer Robbo Hatcher said NewTown Macon’s leasing arm began signing tenants in late 2025 for the four-story building that fills the space left by the demolition of Blair’s Furniture on Third and Joseph N. Neel’s department store on Cherry, which was one of downtown’s leading stores before Macon Mall opened in the mid-70s.
Hatcher, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce’s Person of the Year for 2025, paid homage to that by-gone era by showcasing the old Neel’s sign at the top building. The nostalgic signature of the store’s founder is backlit with LED lighting that can change colors for the season. A holiday red and green lit up the sky during a ceremonial lighting ceremony Dec. 17.
“Neel’s Lofts is a new build that honors the retro charm and vibrant energy of the original store. From its mid-century-inspired colors to branding cues straight from the 70s, we’re keeping the Neel’s spirit and legacy alive — just in a form built for modern downtown living,” according to neelslofts.com.
A co-working space and spacious atrium highlight the modern amenities.
The search is on for a tenant for a 4,000-square-foot restaurant and two 1,000-square-foot spaces for retail on the ground floor.
16 Complete Streets’ first report
Complete Streets Committee to issue its first report
Early 2026 promises to bring Macon-Bibb County’s Complete Streets Committee into compliance for the first time concerning annual reports.
The legislation that launched the committee in 2021 called for progress reports every other fiscal year beginning in 2022, but no reports have been filed.
The county’s traffic safety manager, Weston Stroud, was appointed in 2024 — the year the second report was due.
“That was the same year I started, so I just didn’t have a lot of reference data,” Stroud said during the November Complete Streets meeting.
Although the reports are technically due at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, he pledged to have the report completed in the first three months of the new year.
By law, the report must include:
- Mileage of sidewalks created
- Number of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb cuts created
- Mileage of on-street bicycle facilities created
- Mileage of multi-use facilities created
- Number of transit stops added
- Transit ridership
- Percentage of projects completed with Complete Streets focus and compliance
- Safety and collision statistics across modes
- Number of projects implemented in low-moderate income census tracts
— 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.
