Macon Magazine

100 l Macon Magazine october/noveMber 2013 Four years ago, the College Hill Corridor initiative wasn't much more than a 214-page, spiral-bound master plan. Today, that same plan is dog- eared, full of scribbled notes and checked-off like an intense dinner party shopping list. And the College Hill Corridor, the two-mile area that stretches from Mercer University to downtown and from I-75 to New Street, is a visibly changed, socially thriving testament to the success of our community when we drive the effort to be the neighborhoods where we want to live, work and play. Signs of the times With the brightly branded bike racks and new signage pointing to numerous city attractions, the location of the Corridor proudly proclaims, "You are here!" Whether you are driving – or ideally, walking or cycling – through the area, College Hill signage has become a signature. That signature is strongly noted with the College Hill insignia, a square encompassing four rounded swirls, modeled after a stamped pattern found along some of the neighborhoods' historic sidewalks. The series of directional signs were paid for by a Knight Neighborhood Challenge grant, which continues to accept applications for funding ideas through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. This same grant was responsible for the new, artisan-crafted Washington Park sign (built with actual stones from the park) at the corner of Washington Avenue and College Street and will also cover signage at Tattnall Square Park and a series of pedestrian- friendly map kiosks throughout the Corridor in the coming year. All of the designs and locations were determined with community input at one of the corridor's many public meetings. talking trash Check out the new trash receptacles found throughout the public parks like Tattnall, Washington and Coleman Hill. The new receptacles put a literary spin on the simple act of "waste not, want not" with famous quotes and snippets of poetry from some of the greats, like Macon's own Sidney Lanier. Solar-powered Big Belly Trash Compactors, complete with a unique "vintage" College Hill design, will soon be installed in the parks, putting an environmental priority on reducing waste and encouraging the community to leave our parks better than we found them. More Than a Location The Latest in the College Hill Corridor by JessiCa Walden photography by marYann bates

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