MACON, Ga. — A newly approved apartment complex on Napier Avenue has some people concerned about the traffic and construction coming to the intersection.
According to Jeff Ruggieri, the Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning executive director, this will be the 15th apartment complex approved in the last two years.
The building used to be the old Bellevue Elementary School, and they are keeping the old building and turning it into a clubhouse, Ruggieri says. He says the apartment will be good for people looking to move.
"Any time we can approve more housing for people, we are excited to do so," Ruggieri said.
Ruggieri told 13WMAZ the apartments will likely be workforce-affordable housing.
He says he has heard about the traffic coming to Napier Avenue, Park Street, and Ayers Road, and knows it can be busy. The zoning board asked the developers to move the entrance of the complex further down Napier Avenue to avoid congestion at the main intersection.
"It'll be reviewed by our engineering department to make sure that it's safe for everybody coming in and coming out of the development. We're confident that it won't be an issue," Ruggieri said.
Right now, the building is owned by New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church but Ruggieri says it will be bought by the developers who will build the apartments.
The complex will be a two-story, 120-unit multi-family residential building. Leslie Davis lives in the apartments next to the approved site. She didn't know about the new site until 13WMAZ told her. She says it will be a lot to take on for their neighborhood.
"A lot of construction is going to have to go on and then the zoning for the light and all the traffic," Davis said.
Davis has lived on Napier Avenue for two years. She says traffic is pretty heavy in the evening.
"When people get off of work, where's a lot of congestion on all four streets really," Davis said.
It's that location right at the intersection lead to the request to move the entrance. Davis says the apartments will also be good for their neighborhood.
"I think it will kind of help spruce up the area a little bit more and get all the unnecessary things out of the way," Davis said.
Davis suggests that the county do a road study on the intersection to help fix the traffic.
Ruggieri says there's no clear timeline on when they will start building, and says it could be two years before they "start moving dirt."