MACON, Ga. — South Macon-Bibb County could soon welcome four giant greenhouses and 300 jobs.
Next to the Kohl's Distribution Center and across from the Middle Georgia Regional Airport, the New York-based company BrightFarms plans to build four giant greenhouses totaling nearly 1.5 million square feet.
"It's always good to see growth in the area," says Clay Scarborough.
Scarborough owns a car stereo shop up the street from the site on Hawkinsville Road.
"We've been in this business for over 15 years and we've seen a lot of businesses come and go," he says.
Scarborough adds that there the new industrial companies that have moved nearby have done well, and these greenhouses should help the area boom like his speakers.
"To hear of new businesses coming into this area and opening up here will definitely help generate more traffic in this area and bring more attention to south Bibb County, which is great," he says.
BrightFarms is looking to purchase 200 acres of land and bring over 300 jobs
"There's many people around here that need new jobs," says Nathan Thornton.
Nathan and Patti Thornton are neighbors to the project and say it is needed.
"I came from Arizona, he came from Arizona. We've been here for five years. It's beautiful, but it doesn't have a lot of what other people have, and I think it's a great thing to have," says Patti.
The Thorntons also hope the company opens their homes to the public.
"Maybe if they had the ability to do field trips and kids go to learn about greenhouses, it'd be a good learning experience for the younger generation in this area," says Nathan.
BrightFarms says with this space, they would act out their mission of giving more people access to the "freshest, tastiest, cleanest, and most responsibly grown produce available for the health of all people and the health of our planet."
They say the produce is grown and harvested at the height of freshness, and will be delivered to grocery stores as soon as 24 hours after harvest providing access to fresh, nutritious greens.
The plan goes before Macon- Bibb's planning and zoning commission on Monday.
If approved, they hope to operate two of their four greenhouses in 2024 and two more within 5 years.