MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County released the third version of its Macon Action Plan on Friday.
It was crafted by county leaders, foundations and community members who want to see Macon thrive. The new plan proposes 19 strategies to improve public spaces in Macon with neighbors and tourists in mind.
Joseph Porter works at the Tubman Museum on Cherry Street. He says the area needs more parking, not parks.
"As these people are coming into our area if we don't have the adequate spaces for them to leave the vehicle and come to different businesses how can we expect downtown to grow," Porter said.
Downtown officials say nearly 3,000 people in Macon gave their input on the town's future. They've come up with 19 aspirational strategies to improve Macon-Bibb.
Now, they're proposing a plan to make Cherry Street between Fifth Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard a place for people to enjoy.
"I don't know the necessity of it," Porter said. "We have a lot of parks in the area, including dog parks."
His executive director, Harold Young, says the plan would connect the Sports Hall of Fame and the Tubman Museum, creating a family-friendly area.
"We can do music events down here, we can bring more businesses down here during the lunch hours," Young said. "We want to come and sit in the green area and have lunch."
Executive director of the Urban Development Authority Alex Morrison says they'd create one big park in between Fifth Street and MLK Boulevard. It would include a picnic pavilion, shaded seating, a stage and outdoor game space.
He says it will be a place for tourists, too.
"Making it more part of our downtown culture to have that be a front door for our residents, as well as for tourists, but also making it a very predictable and comfortable place for tourists to come as a home base," Morrison said.
Cost estimates for the Cherry Street Plaza are between $10 and $20 million. All 19 projects could have a price tag of up to $268 million.