Macon Magazine

NewDowntown 2022

Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1474181

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 43 of 59

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. 42

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Macon Magazine - NewDowntown 2022