MACON, Ga. — If you start seeing cranes in the sky next year around downtown Macon, it's probably because of some new major development projects.
Some buildings will be demolished and replaced with loft apartments, retail and office spaces.
"We saw that opportunity, we saw that potential, to be able to have a landsite in the heart of downtown," Naomi Mirsky said.
Mirsky is the chief development officer at Opterra Capital.
13WMAZ media partners in the Macon Newsroom said the facelifts will front Cherry and Third Streets, the corners of Plum Street at D.T. Walton Way and Second Street, as well as Seventh and Mulberry Streets.
The goal, developers say, is to break ground sometime near the end of the first quarter of 2024, or the beginning of the second quarter.
Right now, Mirsky said, they're in the permit approval process.
She explained how her company is inspired by seeing the budding future in downtown Macon.
"We'd like to come in a little bit on the earlier side of developments like this so that we can really shape and really make them something amazing and take it to the next level," Mirsky said.
Mirsky added her company's properties are meant to be accessible and affordable for everybody to enjoy.
You might also hear about plans for a new hotel on Poplar Street, renovations of the Newman Building at the corner of First Street, and a new parking deck in the middle of the block.
Ensuring it will own and manage the block, the Urban Development Agency committed $18.5 million in bonds to build it.
This past fall, 13WMAZ reported how dozens of people working in downtown have to pay for the parking meters on the street to get to work.
Mirsky said downtown is an area that desperately needs parking.
The Urban Development Agency hopes the parking garages will allow for a more accessible spot for commuters who park long-term in downtown on a daily basis.
Also in the new year, the housing authority expects to have its leasing website up, which is meant to provide affordable quality housing for folks under $1,000 monthly.
Lastly, though no official announcement has been made yet, the Macon Newsroom said Mercer's Medical School is looking for a spot in downtown, too.
Macon-Bibb County Commission meetings resume on Jan. 8.