Earlier this year, a group of local elected officials launched the “75 South Corridor Coalition” to improve branding and better communicate the resources and opportunities between the metro areas of Atlanta and Macon. According to coalition leaders, Jackson Mayor Kay Pippin and Ma­con-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert, the group believes that by working together those along this corridor will benefit from various enhancements and job opportunities.
 
Over 550,000 people live in the counties along this corri­dor. The I-75 corridor includes higher education resources through the University of Georgia and Mercer University, state parks including Indian Springs, High Falls and Jar­rell Plantation, as well as, rich cultural resources like the Tubman Museum, the historic Capricorn Records studio, the Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Allman Brothers “Big House.” This corridor, which is also home to the histor­ic cities of Jackson and Forsyth, is a key connection from Georgia’s main economic engine in Atlanta to the Georgia ports and coast. The I-75 and I-16 corridors from Atlanta to Savannah are also a major freight and logistics focus of the Georgia Department Of Transportation.
 
The coalition is busy at work identifying development options to propel their endeavors into 2018. Some of these plans include joining a group of governments, businesses, academic institutions and developer/land owners; expand­ing public and private entities throughout the corridor; bet­ter understanding and marketing the corridor’s current and future development opportunities; coordinating transporta­tion investments among local and state governments; and solidifying an economic development strategy.
 
The Reuter Strategy company serves as consultants for the coalition—guiding them through better coordinated and more intentional community growth.
 
In addition to the coalition’s formation, several projects were also completed to improve the corridor. The Georgia DOT recently opened the Georgia I-75 South Express Lanes. The Georgia Statewide Freight and Logistics Action Plan was also created in 2012, along with the Georgia State Rail Plan in 2015.
 
The coalition will meet next on Nov. 16 at Macon City Hall. For more information, contact Dan Reuter at [email protected] or 404-229-3734.