MACON, Ga. — Maconites will soon see some new landscaping at three Macon I-75 interchanges. That's according to county spokesman Chris Floore.
He says they're working with the Georgia Department of Transportation on plans for landscaping at Pio Nono Avenue, Eisenhower Parkway and Bass Road. In February, commissioners approved about $438,000 for the project.
After 30 years living in Macon, Harold Tollison's developed some favorite things.
"The history, the heritage, the music, everybody's like a family," Tollison said.
As he pumped gas on Pio Nono Avenue Tuesday, he talked about people leaving town. He says it's not as inviting as other places.
"Last few years... been away from that. Everybody's trying to move away from it," Tollison said.
Macon-Bibb County Commissioners want to make it more welcoming. They have a plan to beautify the city's highway exits to invite people into the city. Steven Fulbright, Visit Macon's vice president of sales, says that can be huge for tourism.
"As people come into our town, we want them to see that we care about it, that they're entering a community that really cares about what they see. It also makes them feel safe when they're in our town and inviting," Fulbright said.
He says Macon has a bit of a tricky situation.
"Most of our historic downtown and our neighborhoods are sort of backed away from the interstate. So you don't see those as you're driving through, so it's not gonna snag your eye. So we need to develop some other way to invite people off the interstate to come into our town," Fulbright said.
Tollison thinks it could change some people's negative opinions about the city.
"Well, the first thing, crime, because you come into Macon, you see things shutting down elsewhere instead of trying to find a home here with new businesses," Tollison said.
He's looking forward to the development. He hopes it helps.
"I think it'll really help out because, 'Oh, Macon's looking beautiful now.' They're trying to change something, trying to bring something back to the city, make it what it once was," Tollison said.
Floore says there's not an exact timeline yet. He says the county is working with the state department of transportation to set a date for the start of construction.