The Macon-Bibb County Government Center (700 Poplar Street) will be transformed into a film set from Tuesday, June 6 through Monday, June 12 for the upcoming “The Best of Enemies” movie. This filming will require areas of Government Center to be closed to the public and for a portion of Poplar and First Street to be closed for periods of time.
“We’re delighted to again be the backdrop for another movie. We hear over and over again how much the production crews enjoy filming here, both because of the architecture and scenery and the friendliness of our community and government,” says Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert. The Best of Enemies is the latest in movies filmed here, including Rampage, Need for Speed, The 5th Wave, Trouble With The Curve, Fate of the Furious, and 42. Several television shows have also been filmed here, including Brockmire and The Originals.
Production crews will be preparing the building on Tuesday and Wednesday, and filming will take place Thursday and Friday. The scenes will be broken down and the building returned to its original state on Saturday and Monday. Rosa Parks Square is also being used for preparation and filming during this time.
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 6 and 7
Production crews will be preparing the building on Tuesday and Wednesday. Government Center will be set up (painting walls, changing signage, building sets, and more) for several different scenes. This will include the County Attorney’s Office, the front foyer, the front of the building, the hallway by the Commissioners’ Offices, and Commission Chambers.
All areas of the building will be open at this time, but please be mindful of the work going on.
Thursday and Friday, June 8 and 9
Filming will take place in and around Government Center on Thursday and Friday, and a tentative schedule is below. During filming, certain areas will be closed to the public and employees. Please avoid these areas and use other ways to enter and leave the building.
The public will need to access the building through the First Street entrance, and use the elevator to get to the second and third floors. Employees are asked to enter and leave the building through the door on the first floor near the Emergency Management Agency, and also use the elevator to go between floors.
Poplar Street and the sidewalks in front of Government Center will be closed from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. both days, and there will be detour signs posted. Pedestrian traffic will be allowed to walk past the building while filming is not occurring. Production staff will be on site to stop pedestrian traffic during times of filming.
There will be temporary closures at the intersections of D.T. Walton Way and Poplar Street and First and Poplar Streets. For those temporary closures, please follow directions from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputies in the area. (A map of the closures is below.)
Thursday, June 8
Poplar Street in front of Government Center will close at 11:00 a.m., and filming will take place along the front of the building and on the street. Once the sun sets, filming will be inside Government Center offices. Filming is expected to wrap up about 2:00 a.m. Friday morning.
Friday, June 9
Most of the filming will take place in the foyer, Commission Chambers, and hallway by Commissioners’ offices in Government Center. Poplar Street will close at 11:00 a.m. to allow for equipment and extras to move safely between the Auditorium and Government Center, and for filming of additional scenes later in the day. Filming is expected to be complete by about 2:00 a.m.
Saturday and Monday, June 10 and 12
Production crews will break down the sets inside Government Center and return offices to their original state. Poplar Street and the sidewalks will be fully open for this.
