WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — "For sale" signs are coming down in the Commercial Circle area, as Warner Robins makes strides on building up their downtown.
Thursday morning, Mayor LaRhonda Patrick talked with county leaders at Robins Regional Chamber's monthly "Eggs and Issues" event about city plans for crime, infrastructure and their homeless initiative.
She also talked about the state of Commercial Circle. Megan Western was in Warner Robins to share the latest on the big city project.
"I've heard it since I've moved to Warner Robins in 1994 about redeveloping our downtown district, but it's finally going to happen," says Mayor Patrick.
Mayor LaRhonda Patrick says the city has purchased almost 50 percent of their target area.
This week, after an executive session council meeting, the group approved for the mayor to negotiate a purchase-and-sale agreement for two locations -- one at 111 Market Street, and the other at 131 South Commercial Circle.
Mayor Patrick says they're planning for building with joint commercial and residential space.
"We're trying to build up four to five stories, right there in our downtown districts that we all like to go and visit in the other cities around us," she adds.
She says they will transform into a "live, love, play community."
"Green space for different community events, walking, and biking trails," Patrick says.
She also mentioned that the city will soon work on an initiative to connect these trails throughout the city.
Warner Robins Community and Economic Development Director Kate Hogan says they have run into a environmental concerns.
"We have identified some environmental impacts that would be an additional barrier to entry and really inhibit the return of investment for a private firm or private development company," says Hogan.
In February, council voted to test for possible pollution in the area. Hogan says the city will work strategically to mitigate these problems and continue working hard to fill up spots.
"Really wanting to break down those barriers to entry so that we can make sure that companies who are looking in our area can be successful in finding a location," says Hogan.
Patrick says they have received statewide support for their plans, and she can't wait to see them through.
"You can't see it now, but you're going to see it, and all the theories people have, we've heard it all before, 'It's never going to work,' that's not true. It's going to work. We have so many developers already coming saying, 'Hey, we want to do this development,'" says Patrick.
The mayor also shared during the meeting that the city is putting a focus on events. She says they are planning an International City Music and Food Festival. Patrick says before the summer, they plan to become a food truck-friendly community.