“I just want to let y’all know something, right now. I love all the communities in Macon, but Kings Park plays a special role in my life because I grew up right there in that house,” Jerry Battle – also known as Ta to many people in the neighborhood – said to chuckles from the audience and with a smile on his face.
“If you give us that push and stand behind us, I will see to it that the people I have with us standing by your side. My dream is to see Kings Park get back to its original state,” says Deacon Clifford Johnson, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1979. He charged all neighborhoods to come together and figure out what they need, that that’s the only way to get things accomplished.
“At our State of the Community, we talked about neighborhoods and building people up. The projects are nice, but it’s about building up people, building up our neighborhoods, and building up our community,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “We want to help them come together and move forward.”
They were speaking on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in Kings Park to about three dozen residents from several neighborhoods, county staff, local leaders, and the media to introduce the new Macon Good Neighbors program. It’s an effort to listen to residents about what they need in their neighborhoods and then coordinate government and community services to make those things happen quickly. The program began several months ago in the Kings Park neighborhoods and has now expanded to include Unionville and Houston Avenue, and it is preparing to begin outreach efforts in Payne City.
“This initiative is focused on one simple, important goal: improving the quality of life in our communities by listening to residents addressing concerns and creating visible change that people can be proud of,” Battle told the group. “We want the neighborhoods to know that their voices matter and that when communities and local partners work together, positive things can happen.”
Battle talked about when he first met with the Kings Park neighborhood and how they sat together casually about what was needed. They came up with the rough draft of a plan to get things done, and much of that has already been done, including fixing or cleaning signage, assessing lighting needs, removing dead trees and planting new ones, street sweeping, and more. Over the course of several weeks, Battle and the Solid Waste Department coordinated special days for collecting large furniture and other debris. More long-term projects include resurfacing the basketball court, installing new playground equipment, and building a new gazebo for neighborhood gatherings.
“I’m excited to be at this moment in this journey of our redevelopment as an entire community,” says Alex Morrison, Director of Planning & Public Spaces. He talked about the importance of intentionally reaching out to the neighborhoods, to think about the people that lived there, and listening to what they need and want.
“There’s much more work to be done, and we can only do this together,” adds Miller. “This is our moment – Macon’s Moment – to build all people up and give them the tools and quality of life to join us in moving the entire community forward together.”