In late April, Macon-Bibb County and the Urban Development Authority broke ground on the first phase of improvements to Pinnacle Park on Second Street at the site of the old Boys and Girls Club. The first phase of these improvements will include trails, benches, landscaping, and a great view of Downtown.

Pinnacle Park is part of Macon-Bibb County’s effort to revitalize the Second Street Corridor, including the neighborhoods in the area. Prior to acquisition of the property, the former Boys and Girls Club was falling down, but with this project, there will be a vibrant park for families and children.

Guests at the groundbreaking included Mayor Robert Reichert, Commissioners Rabbi Larry Schlesinger and Virgil Watkins, and representatives from the Urban Development Authority, ZT3 Placemakers, and Macon Water Authority.

About the Second Street Corridor

The Second Street Corridor redevelopment and revitalization project was started with funding from the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Eight million dollars was designated to improve the area that stretches from East Macon through Downtown, connecting to Little Richard Penniman and Mercer University Boulevards, and creating gateways into Macon-Bibb at either end. Long-term, Macon-Bibb County wants to extend the Corridor further west along Mercer University Boulevard to the Macon Mall and Middle Georgia State College.

This past December, Macon-Bibb County reopened the block of Second Street between Cherry and Poplar Streets as a Vision Block for the Corridor to show people what will the entire street will look like. It features bike lanes, reverse angle parking, landscaping, shade trees, benches, improved sidewalks, an irrigation system, and more. In addition to the work being completed with SPLOST funds, Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light, and the Macon Water Authority used this opportunity to upgrade and improve its electrical system to meet the growth taking place Downtown. Click here for a MaconBibbTV feature on the Vision Block.

As a part of the redevelopment plan for Second Street as a “complete street,” a transit alternative for connecting east and west Macon needed to be identified that could serve as a backbone to a larger regional system. Long-discussed as a fixed light rail system connecting the different areas, another alternative is currently being explored: an electric bus system.

In late February, a team from Macon-Bibb County, the Macon Transit Authority, and Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) visited Tallahassee, FL, and StarMetro – the city’s public transit provider – to learn more about its electric bus system. In August 2013, it was the first transit agency on the east coast to deploy electric buses, and those buses are now 5% of its fleet) and serve a fixed 18-mile route. Click here to read more about the visit and this alternative.

Macon-Bibb County is currently developing Mid-City Square, a new park located at the intersection of Second and Pine Streets. Several of the properties have been purchased and the buildings have been torn down to make way for new greenspace. Also, work is beginning on the creation of Pinnacle Park on Second Street in the Tindall Heights neighborhood. Located on the site of the former Boys and Girls Club, it will be a passive park with trails, benches, landscaping, and a great view of Downtown.

Using Tax Allocation District bond funding, Macon-Bibb will be building a signature pedestrian bridge over Mercer University Drive that will serve as a gateway into the city. Its construction helped bring almost $50 million in investment in Tindall Heights.