WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — The city of Warner Robins is several steps closer to the opening of a new downtown area.
On Wednesday, Mayor LaRhonda Patrick spoke about the new developments at a press conference outside City Hall.
She announced that the city had acquired 60 percent of the commercial circle. Before Mayor Patrick was in office, they owned 1.63 acres of the circle, and now, just a year later, they now own 9.1 acres of the historic downtown.
That equals 21 parcels.
The circle is divided into four quadrants, and they own 94% of the northeast quadrant and 74% of the southeast quadrant. Altogether, that totals 60% of the entire circle.
The city also conducted an EPA study on the land and discovered contaminants in the ground. They said they plan to remedy the issue and use the Georgia Brown Fields Program to eliminate environmental barriers.
This will allow cleanup to be funded clearly through grants.
They said there are plans to move soil before the end of this year and that you can expect a few things from the plans:
- Building from the ground up with commercial retail space
- Having a place of walkability
- More adequate walking spaces
The city is waiting for more owners to sell their properties so they can acquire more land, and it is still an ongoing project. It is funded by 2012 and 2018 SPLOST.
When asked how the plans will affect businesses and housing, Patrick said they don't believe this new development will bring more homelessness due to the new shelter.
The city has spent about $2 million so far to acquire land.
Patrick ended the conference by saying that the "future of Warner Robins is bright," they hope to make much more progress on downtown as developments roll on.