New Town Macon Inc

Programs: Creating a sense of place: a desirable neighborhood is both livable and walkable; therefore, newtown macon is promoting the downtown lifestyle and providing recreational activities. Newtown promotes a sense of place by managing first fridays, beautifying the streets, promoting downtown events, and promoting the development of the ocmulgee heritage trail. One of the most transformative ways newtown macon is changing downtown is by turning vacant, dilapidated buildings into beautiful, useful spaces. Another way that newtown creates a sense of place is by protecting endangered buildings by using the transitional property fund (tpf). This fund allows a building owner to donate or partially donate a building to newtown, and newtown matches the building to capable developers. During the year, the tpf held a riverfront lot located at 167 riverside drive which is available for future development. The tpf began rehabilitating another historic building at 520 mulberry st, which will be redeveloped into twelve lofts and two storefronts. Two properties previously held by the tpf were in the development process during the fiscal year: 476 second street, which is under construction for lofts and a retail tenant, and the historic capricorn recording studio, which was sold to a private developer with newtown retaining an easement to protect the historic facility. Previous tpf projects include: 518-530 cherry st. (travis jean), 552-580 cherry st. (lamar lofts), 566 poplar st. , 546 poplar st. , 350 second st. (capitol), 555 poplar st. , 454 terminal ave. , 360 sixth st. , riverside dr. Assemblage, 300 cherry st. (sports hall), and 745 poplar st. (shrine temple). The ocmulgee heritage trail (oht) continues to be one of our main focuses as a public/private partnership. Newtown macon continues to run an advisory committee to plan and manage expansion and improvement of the trail system, and raise private funds to enable these improvements through the oht construction fund. As improvements are completed, newtown turns the improvements over to local government to run as public park space in perpetuity. During the fiscal year, the macon water authority (mwa) completed permanent crossings during a sewer improvement project to enable the oht to connect a trail from an existing trail in amerson river park to an existing trail at riverside cemetery. During the fiscal year, the 2016 leadership macon class, raised the necessary funds and exerted significant volunteer hours to design, construct and install a major bridge for this connection.

increasing residents: newtown macon is increasing downtown residents by funding loft development through the real estate loan fund. This loan fund was established in partnership with the macon-bibb urban development authority and macon-bibb county. We use bond funds in viable residential projects to close the gap between sources of funds (including owner equity, traditional financing and historic tax credits) and the actual cost to rehabilitate or build loft housing. At the end of the fiscal year, newtown had 3. 7 million of loans in service on projects. In total, newtown's real estate loans produced projects with market values of 36 million, expected to produce 210 residential lofts and rehabilitate over 300,000 square feet of underutilized buildings. Newtown macon also promotes downtown living through marketing and rebranding, and by helping people find a place to live through the loft finder online service at newtownmacon. Com/living. Through these strategies, downtown macon is attracting new residents. We have exceeded our goal of 85% occupancy with 95% of the lofts occupied at the end of the fiscal year.

growing jobs: newtown macon also provides support for entrepreneurs. We offer a variety of services including shepherding applicants through the permit process, one-on-one mentorship counseling, and access to capital through loans, equity investments and joint ventures. Our staff conducted over 100 small business consultations during the fiscal year. At the end of the fiscal year, newtown had two investments in businesses outstanding, for a total of approximately 80,000. These services attract businesses to downtown, verified by a total of 24 net new businesses opening in downtown macon during the fiscal year.

affiliates: newtown macon is focused on revitalizing downtown. One way that we accomplish revitalization is through partnerships with our affiliates such as fort hawkins. President thomas jefferson and indian agent col. Benjamin hawkins established fort hawkins as an official u. S. Army fort and indian factory for trading and meeting with native americans in 1806. At the time, it was the western frontier and a wilderness. It overlooked the ancient indian mounds of the "old fields" held sacred by the muscogee creek nation, the ocmulgee river, the lower creek pathway that became the federal road connecting washington, d. C. To mobile and new orleans, and the future site of the city of macon founded across the river seventeen years later. Newtown is working with the fort hawkins commission to bring about the complete restoration of the frontier fort that is the birthplace of macon, georgia. Newtown's long-term strategy is for all affiliates to transition to independent, self-sufficient organizations. During the fiscal year, newtown achieved its objective, by transferring all funds and operating responsibilities to fort hawkins, which now operates as an independent non-profit. Advocating progress: newtown macon's board of directors embraces a broad vision of a prosperous middle georgia which necessitates our involvement in local and regional policy issues that impact downtown macon's renaissance.