Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1534028
28 maconmagazine.com | April/May 2025 BY MM STAFF M E R C E R S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E making moves Downtown The future site of Mercer's School of Medicine. LEFT A map shows where the new school will be built along the Ocmulgee River. Courtesy of Mercer University. G et ready for an exciting new chapter in Downtown Macon's history that unites the power of Mercer University with the partnership of city leaders. Mercer is set to construct a new building for its School of Medicine, positioned right on the banks of the Ocmulgee River at the gateway to downtown along Spring Street and Riverside Drive. This bold move marks the transformation of that area, which was already a focal point in 2025 when the year began with the implosion of the former Ramada hotel building on New Year's Day. Macon-Bibb County offi cials have reported that property could be the site of a new hotel and convention center. "Our city along the Ocmulgee River and First Street is about to undergo a major transformation," explained Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller. This corner of downtown is just off of I-16 and I-75, making it an important entry point into the city for many outsiders. On the other side of the river, projects such as the East Bank development, Bicentennial Park, and the hope of a National Park designation for the Ocmulgee Mounds promise an immediately tantalizing experience for those who arrive in Macon. The area is currently the site of a long running interstate construction project by Georgia Department of Transportation. The Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority approved selling 11 parcels at 815 Riverside Drive to Mercer University on February 27. This will add much-needed room for Mercer's medical school, which the university reports has more than doubled the number of M.D. students from 96 to 240 and added Ph.D. and master's-level programs since its opening in 1982. "More and better instructional and research space is required to L O C A L B U Z Z