MACON, Ga. — There's something about the north corner of Cherry and First in downtown Macon, and it's historic.
"I know our building is well over 100 years old," said Joy Amerson.
She owns the Jean and Hall flower shop on Cherry Street, where her parents, Jean and Hall, opened in 1952.
"The first home that I remember is living here upstairs, and I have good memories living downtown," Amerson explained.
She says downtown Macon was bustling then.
"All the businesses were downtown. The shopping centers were not there yet, so everyone would come downtown."
One popular spot was the Macon Health Club.
"As long as I can remember, that building has been there," Amerson said.
She says you could exercise there, have physical therapy, swim, and there was a restaurant upstairs to eat at.
"I think the restaurant was well received," Amerson said. "I'm really not sure why it closed."
However, Macon-Bibb's Urban Development Authority director, Alex Morrison, said he remembers how the public felt when the health club closed in 2017.
"People were very upset because a lot of people used the health club. At the time, that meant that there was no gym, and currently, there is no publicly available in the grid of downtown Macon," he explained.
Morrison says it's been standing vacant in the core of downtown.
"People always say, 'You know, we really need to do something with the health club,'" he said.
So, now Macon-Bibb County owns it, proving you can be over 100 years old and still make a comeback. Macon-Bibb's Urban Development Authority plans to renovate the space and the building across the street from it at 691 Cherry Street.
It happened in a land swap with the hospital authority.
"It's a significant property that has a ton of memories-- core memories-- for generations of Maconites. What we're intending to do is work with developers to bring both of these properties back to productive use. Bringing new residents, new activity, and a new gym and restaurant facility back to this corner," Morrison said.
Karla Redding-Andrews, Otis Redding's daughter and Executive Director of the Otis Redding Foundation, says she's excited about the project.
"The Otis Redding Center for the Arts that's under construction right now, 13,000 square feet of space, will be finished in September. Think about how these corners are making such an impact in downtown." Redding-Andrews said.
She says she's seen the city bustling and busy once. She had her own successful business on Cherry Street, a shoe boutique she ran with her mother, Zelma, and hopes to see the town thrive again.
"As I said, there's something in this corner," Redding-Andrews said. "We'll have housing, we'll have services, and then another corner to attract parents and students every single day."
The Industrial Authority swapped the land with the hospital authority.
Morrison says they'll start talking with developers next week. They say they still have to decide if a hotel or apartments will be built in the other building.