MACON, Ga. — An $89 million investment could be coming to downtown Macon. It's expected to give an aging and mostly vacant block of downtown a major facelift.
There have been ideas kicked around for the past five or so years on what a block along Poplar Street could be-- all of those ideas revolving around developing a hotel.
Now, MMI-Thornton LLC and Opterra Capital have teamed up to make a hub to live, stay, and play between First and Second, Poplar and Plum streets.
Developers are asking Macon-Bibb's Planning and Zoning to approve a massive project bringing a new boutique hotel, apartments, entertainment, and more.
"We see this as an opportunity for this downtown core to really create this activated community space," said Naomi Mirsky, chief development officer of Opterra Capital.
Mirsky says the hotel, facing toward Poplar Street, will be the plaza of the project. The plan is for it to have 152 rooms.
"So, it will be a nationally branded hotel, but it will be a lifestyle boutique," Mirsky said.
Behind the hotel, they're considering including an entertainment alley open to the public.
"To have food and beverage outlets, to have art installations, to have outdoor live music and really create that downtown center," Mirsky said.
Adding to the list, Mirsky says they want to put a "nationally-branded" coffee shop and gym into the complex.
Back behind the hotel and entertainment alley, the developers want to build a six-story, 230-unit apartment complex on the corner of Plum and Second streets.
The blueprints show the building will be in a U-shape where more amenities can fit into the center of the complex.
"We want it to be welcoming. We want it to be warm. We want it to be inviting," Mirsky said.
Mirsky says they're also proposing renovating the historic Newman Building that'll connect to the hotel with a pedestrian bridge.
"The ground floor will likely be a restaurant space. The upper floors we're looking at as a meeting space, event space."
Some items relating to the project are expected to be back on Planning and Zoning's agenda on April 25. The board wants to see more plans for parking space for the development.