Macon Magazine

Dozens of brand-new houses are also being built in Pleasant Hill by the CEA, with some historic homes renovated. The top-of-the- line buildings, constructed all over the neighborhood, create infill that raise the property values, generating wealth in the form of home equity for current residents. This project comes with an added bonus. Huston explained, "When we started building houses in the community, we worked with a local nonprofit and CGTC [Central Georgia Technical College] to help workers in Pleasant Hill and other Macon communities get their construction certification, and then they were hired on with contractors in the building of the new homes. So they were hired at a livable wage, they got their construction certification, and they were able to work with those contractors." Of the 15 graduates of the program, at least one was hired on for a future construction job at Habitat for Humanity. The Booker T. Washington Center has also reopened in Pleasant Hill. The Center was once a vital community hub where elders remember spending almost all of their youth. By reopening the Center for public use, it is a symbol that the neighborhood is full of life again and there are places for neighbors to gather. Huston said she is grateful to the mayor and commissioners for allowing the CEA to manage the facility. The Center is a myriad of resources for residents, with nonprofit agencies offering services including mental health care, diapers, feminine hygiene products, baby formula, a food pantry, a er-school care, school tutoring, piano lessons, and dance lessons. Huston said, "Even if we don't provide the service, we can tell them who does." She went on to describe their most recent offering, which she believes will have a big impact. "This week, we just started programming for mothers who have lost their children to gun violence. So many times we see the violence, but we don't understand that has such a lasting effect on the family." A er taking the job, Huston relocated her home and her family, believing she couldn't work with neighbors to create positive change without authentically being a constituent. Even her personal business, MJM Consolidated Services, is dedicated to bringing excellence back to Pleasant Hill: Huston attends judicial in rem tax sales to buy blighted properties at auction, which she flips so that they can be put back into productive use. Though she's not practicing as an attorney, Huston said her legal education comes in handy for community development work, from understanding how contracts work to advocating for residents with complex needs in bureaucratic agencies. BRIDGING GAPS, MENDING WOUNDS WITH ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE Through her work with the CEA, Huston joined the group of forward-thinking citizens heading up the RCC, using volunteer time to think about how the experiences of public cities could transform Pleasant Hill. Asked about the decision to use this area as a focal point, RCC co-chair Alex Morrison replied, "The use of Walnut Street as a connection to downtown was part of MAP [Macon Action Plan], but as our local team came together, it was clear that connecting to Pleasant Hill was the biggest impact our team could have with our time in the cohort and for the benefit of the most Maconites." When the project is completed, Pleasant Hill will be better reconnected for bikers and pedestrians to travel to Downtown Macon — just as it once was before the interstate — by way of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. This pathway will allow residents easier access to entertainment, shopping, food, and recreation downtown. Walkability is important in this initiative since about one third of Macon residents don't have a driver's license, according to Bike Walk Macon. The Trail will also allow greater access for all Maconites to explore to new green spaces in Pleasant Hill, like the recently completed Jefferson Long Park and Linear Park, finished with GDOT mitigation funds and maintained by Huston and the CEA. Those who haven't been to Pleasant Hill in years might pop in for the annual Little Richard Festival or rent a park for as little as $75 for a birthday party or community event. This April, Macon's RCC team came together to paint bike FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MACON'S RCC TEAM TRAVELED TO MINNEAPOLIS LAST FALL. 54 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2023

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