HYPER-LOCAL
DEVELOPERS ARE
THE BOYS AND GIRLS
NEXT DOOR
SHOPKEEPERS ARE TAKING THE KEYS into
their own hands in downtown Macon – and
their destiny, too. Local residents and business
owners are starting to buy and build out their
own property, developing a sense of pride in
every block.
"When you're renting, you don't have a stake
in it. But once you pay yourself, when you would
have paid someone else, it's creating a place
of home," Dr. Anissa Jones explained. Jones
and her husband Deon Aiken are putting the
finishing touches on a multi-use property with
the help of NewTown Loans, opening June 2022.
Jones is no stranger to downtown, having
operated businesses there for years – and she's
not the only one. Homegrown entrepreneurs
becoming real estate owners is an encouraging
trend, according to Bethany Rogers, executive
director of NewTown Loans.
Rogers calls
it locally-led
revitalization. Three
core reasons make
this shift important:
First is the sense of
investment Jones
mentioned. "They are
ready to plant their
roots and dig into
making downtown a
more dynamic place,"
Rogers said.
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