MACON, Ga. — It’s a new era for the Pleasant Hill community.
On Wednesday, Macon-Bibb County mayor Lester Miller, Macon Housing Authority and the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization came together to announce plans to build more affordable housing in Pleasant Hill and to make an effort to revitalize the community.
“It took a great deal of work between multiple groups to make all this happen, and without this step, the future of this block would still be unknown today,” Miller said. “But with this step, we can all help. With residents supporting our organizations, (we can) chart a better future for our children, for our families and more importantly, for this neighborhood.”
Miller and Macon Housing Authority CEO Mike Austin announced that an old school building in the community would be demolished and rebuilt into a new place, which will have 64 new units of affordable housing. Austin said that the project will cost around $17 to $19 million and will take 12 to 16 months to complete.
Austin has had plenty of experience working with affordable housing. He’s recently worked on a few affordable housing projects in the Macon-Bibb area, including a recent $20 million renovation in Mounts Homes.
While he acknowledged it isn’t easy, he said that, with affordable housing being such a prevalent issue, that he is excited to team up with so many to create opportunities for those in need.
“Everybody knows you can’t turn on the news these days and not see a story about the demand for affordable housing. Not just in Macon, but throughout the entire United States,” Austin said. “It is very hard to obtain these days, and that’s why it’s important that we take on projects like this and provide more affordable housing for the residents of our community.”
Alongside the new units of affordable housing, Miller wants to continue to expand the Pleasant Hill community. He said he wants to keep growing the area and making it a great place to live for the current and future residents of Pleasant Hill.
He added that he wants to hear from the Pleasant Hill community themselves on what they’d like. to be added. He gave examples like transforming the old rundown playgrounds into spaces for kids to play, or possibly putting up buildings like a gymnasium, a possible food court or just new open spaces for the community.
“This abandoned area will once again live as a center of the community, and that is truly what makes today a great day for Macon-Bibb County,” Miller said.
Erion Smith, the Chair of the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood organization, has been ecstatic to the neighborhood he’s spent his whole life in expanding, but is also hopeful to grow the historic area.
“We must give honor to our history and our ancestors with what is done here.” Smith said. “Affordable housing must be truly affordable and it must be the right kind of housing that will complement a rejuvenation and resurrection of the Pleasant Hill neighborhood.”
Miller, Austin and Smith all noted how important the communication has been between every party involved and all gave thanks to how helpful they’ve been.
Together, they’re excited to bring life back into the historic community.
“It won’t be long (until) we’ll be standing here again (and) cutting a ribbon,” Austin said.