To glimpse historic preservation’s power to help revitalize Georgia’s economy and protect its history, one need look no further than Macon-Bibb County over the past eight years.
The Historic Tattnall Apartments project, for example, brought together private investors, Mercer University and state and federal tax credits to breathe new life in one of Macon’s once-fading historic neighborhoods. This Historic Macon Foundation project was no exception. With 45 projects that leveraged the federal historic tax since 2001, Macon is the top city in the state for historic tax credit activity two years in a row, exceeding both Atlanta and Savannah.
While I love to brag on the city where I was born, I have to give credit for some of our inspiration to Savannah, which hosted more than 2,000 preservationists from across the country at the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual conference this month. Savannah proved long ago that economic development and historic preservation go hand-in-hand. Recognizing and learning about this connection, we are moving ahead by building on our rich history. We are using our 14 National Register districts and more than 6,000 historic buildings to grow jobs, attract talent, provide affordable housing, and build a quality of life that is unique in all the country.
Since 2007, we have overcome some tremendous challenges with the help of historic preservation. It is our rich history, architecture and infrastructure that provides us – and every town and city in Georgia – the blueprint upon which to take advantage of the current national trend of urban revitalization. Our downtowns and surrounding neighborhoods will draw people back to the cities that are, ultimately, the economic drivers of entire regions.
Having gone through the decline of downtowns brought about by the growth of the suburbs, and then our loss of a major industry and the recent housing and economic crash, Macon-Bibb was at a low point. In fact, only two new business licenses were issued around our downtown in 2007. But in 2009, a local developer helped set off a wave of revitalization by investing $350,000 and creating a four-unit loft project.
Now, it might seem impossible to turn $350,000 into $17 million, but these statistics are straight out of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s June 2014 study of the catalytic impact of historic preservation tax credits. In the three years after that project was complete, Macon-Bibb issued 28 times as many business licenses and saw downtown values jump 17 percent in value. Other developers have added another 130 loft units at a total investment of more than $17 million. And since November 2013, 19 new businesses have opened in our central business district.
It should be noted our preservation-based revitalization success is not limited to just our downtown – nor is it possible only in Macon. Our historic neighborhoods are experiencing a resurgence as well. Thanks to our long-term partnership with the Macon Housing Authority, Mercer and the Historic Macon Foundation, we created the Historic Hills and Heights organization and are turning abandoned historic houses into hip and affordable urban cottages. Using Georgia’s tax credits and the federal credit for historic preservation, the average $150,000 home in this neighborhood costs less than $500 per month to own.
Imagine $500 per month to own a totally rehabilitated, 1,500-square-foot home within walking distance of 25,000 jobs, more than 200 businesses, regular outdoor concerts and events and, most recently, Mercer’s nationally recognized football and basketball programs. This is the kind of quality of life Atlanta residents will enjoy when the historic Ponce City Market rehabilitation concludes, and the type of revitalization historic neighborhoods like Sweet Auburn are poised to experience.
As Georgia’s profile rises as a leading state for historic preservation in the aftermath of the preservation conference, I encourage folks to look to Macon-Bibb for proof that historic preservation can create a community and economy ready for the 21st century. Ours is a city on the move, gaining steam and out to defend our title as Georgia’s biggest producer of historic tax credit activity, but we welcome the competition.
Using our heritage to drive our future would benefit all of Georgia.
Robert A.B. Reichert is mayor of Macon-Bibb County.
