The Community Foundation of Central Georgia announced 23 new projects to be funded by the Downtown Challenge, now in its third round of awarding grants that put game-changing ideas into action for Downtown Macon. The three-year, $3 million grant initiative launched in January 2016 and has now awarded over $1.3 million in funding.

Administered by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the Downtown Challenge is made possible by the Peyton Anderson Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; each provided $1.5 million in support.

Applications are reviewed and scored according to the funding priorities of the Macon Action Plan, a five-year strategic plan designed to improve Macon’s urban core and respond to four community needs and opportunities detailed in the plan: economic development, experience, living, and connectivity. “Once again, we are inspired by the continued, creative responses to the Downtown Challenge, and the authentic desire of the applicants to make our urban core the best it can be,” said Kathryn Dennis, president of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. “The latest round of grants will fund innovative ideas that don’t just provide an experience but enhance and strengthen our community, in addition to making an economic impact.”

The latest round of Downtown Challenge funding was announced and celebrated with a news conference and reception today at the Macon Beer Company, with many of the previous and new grant recipients on hand.

The third round of Downtown Challenge projects supporting the “Economic Development” funding priority are:

1. Apprenticeships for Protégés, $5,000: The Mentors Project of Bibb County will pair their protégés with Downtown business owners to acquire job experience, while offering the business owner additional employees. The protégés will receive a stipend. The idea meets a need in 1.1 (c) of MAP to build a better support for economic anchors by expanding commercial businesses.

2. Development Dynamics in Downtown Macon, $60,000: Macon-Bibb County will engage CityVisions for a comprehensive evaluation of Downtown markets, projects and activities to help determine which public investments would be sequenced and coordinated to have the most positive impact on development opportunities. The idea meets a need in 1.2 (a) of MAP to strengthen competition and re-establish natural churn in the local market by increasing number and diversity of businesses.

3. Recruit Office Tenants to Downtown, $15,000:  NewTown Macon will create a basic office recruitment program based on national best practices, including a print guide and online office finder. The idea meets a need in 1.2 (b) of MAP to initiate Downtown-specific business attraction efforts.

4. Downtown Venture Fund, $10,000:  This fund’s purpose is to provide working capital to entrepreneurial ventures that do not have the assets to secure a traditional business loan. NewTown Macon will administer the loan and include business coaching as part of the process to help ensure the participant’s success. This idea meets a need in 1.3 (a) of MAP to embrace and support start-up culture.

5. Female Entrepreneurs Academy, $10,000: The Mercer Innovation Center will offer programming to empower women in their effort to become entrepreneurs in Macon-Bibb. This program will offer workshops, networking opportunities and business development support specifically geared towards women. The idea meets a need in 1.3 (a) of MAP to embrace and support start-up culture.

The third round of projects supporting the “Experience” funding priority are:

6. Return of the Stag, $15,000:  The Macon Arts Alliance will work with a private citizen to return a large stag statue to the empty concrete plinth on Mulberry Street, and improve landscaping and lighting of this area. The idea meets a need in 2.1 (a) of MAP to improve Downtown approaches from main thoroughfares.

7. Alley Designbook, $3,500: NewTown Macon, Inc. will work with Wimberly Treadwell to create and promote a design book of low cost, basic specification alleyway improvements geared towards private investors. The idea meets a need in 2.1 (a) of MAP to enhance the comfort and appeal of the urban core’s public realm with expanded streetscaping efforts.

8. Poplar Lights Infrastructure, $60,000: NewTown Macon partnering with a private citizen will oversee the installation of an extensive in-ground infrastructure that will host year-round tree and landscape lighting, as well as an immersive Christmas audio and light show. The idea meets a need in 2.1 (a) of MAP to enhance the comfort and appeal of the urban core’s public realm with expanded streetscaping efforts.

9. Macon Sparks, $3,500: Sparks Yoga, LLC will increase downtown interest by hosting monthly yoga “pop up” events in underutilized and/or historic sites in Downtown Macon. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (a) of MAP to improve use of underutilized spaces including alleys, medians, and vacant storefronts.

10. The Wunderkammer: a Pop-up Museum of Curiosities, $18,000: The Museum of Arts and Sciences will transform a metal shipping container into a pop-up museum of curiosities through the installation of large windows, shelving units and solar powered lights. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (a) to improve the use of underutilized spaces including alleys, medians and vacant storefronts.

11. Downtown Alley Activation, $10,000:  The Downtown Macon Community Association will activate different downtown alleys through featured events. Events may include a downtown market, scavenger hunt, dance party, foodie tour and more. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (a) of MAP to improve the use of underutilized spaces including alleys, medians, and vacant storefronts.

12. MORE Music in Public Places, $10,000:  The Friends of Macon Music plans to continue their efforts by providing musicians with equipment and performance opportunities, with acoustic concerts throughout the urban core. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (a) of MAP to improve underutilized spaces including alleys, medians, and vacant storefronts.

13. Third Place Play, $8,500: NewTown Macon will temporarily activate three public downtown spaces on three different days to host three different events: a Cherry Street Plaza Luau, Poplar Yards Field Day and Movie Night on the River. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (a) of MAP to improve the use of underutilized spaces including alleys, medians, and vacant storefronts.

14. Bernd Park Plein Air Art Park, Pt. 2, $69,000: AnT Sculpture and Design, LLC plans to transform Bernd Park into an inviting downtown destination through the integration of traditional park aspects of play and landscaping with public art. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (b) of MAP to improve and expand open spaces in the urban core to create a central gathering space.

15. Rose Hill Cemetery Digital & Print Map, $ 12,000:  Historic Macon Foundation plans to design and print new maps of Rose Hill Cemetery. The project would include the creation of a digital map, allowing the inclusion of various tours and points of interest. The idea meets a need in 2.2 (c) of MAP to integrate the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail as a key downtown amenity.

16. Expansion of Bragg Jam Concert Crawl, $25,000: Bragg Jam, Inc. will add a Friday night concert to this year’s festival to kick-off the traditional Saturday festivities. The idea meets a need in 2.3 (a) of MAP to maintain support for existing events and add new events.

17. First Friday Garage Meet, $5,000: A free antique and custom car show will be located in the Mulberry Street parking deck as a part of NewTown Macon’s First Friday events. The idea meets a need in 2.3 (a) of MAP to maintain support for existing events and add new events.

18. Connections Arts Festival, $5,000:  Pulse: Heartbeat of Macon will host a free, all-ages arts festival at the new Mill Hill auditorium. The Connections Arts Festival will feature curated art shows, live entertainment, art activities, performances and food vendors. The idea meets a need in 2.3 (a) of MAP to maintain support for existing events and add new events.

19. com, $10,000: Macon Arts Alliance proposes Macon365.com, a complete rebranding of the online community calendar, ultimately improving how the community accesses information about local events. The idea meets a need in 2.3 (a) of MAP to maintain support for existing events and add new events.

20. “Your River” Forum and Paddle $10,000:  The Altamaha Riverkeeper will host a three-part forum at downtown businesses that use clean water to produce local beer. The series will promote the importance of ecological work and encourage recreational river use through a river paddle following each forum installment. The idea meets a need in 2.5 (b) of MAP to support the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative’s bid to become a National Park.

The third round project supporting the “Living” funding priority is:

21. The Maconites, $14,000: Susannah Maddux and Maryann Bates will grow The Maconites project through its website and social media. The Maconites features personal profiles of Urban Core residents. The idea meets a need in 3.1 (c) of MAP to welcome new residents as members of a close-knit community.

The third round of projects supporting the “Connectivity” funding priority are:

22. Transportation Station Mural, $31,500:  The Macon Arts Alliance, Inc. working with a private citizen and the Macon Transit Authority will work with local artists to create a custom mural at the Macon Transit Authority Transportation Center at the Terminal Station. The collaborative mural will be designed by three professional artists who will lead community participation sessions of bus passengers, residents and visitors. The idea meets a need in 4.3 (a) of MAP to improve bus/shuttle connections.

23. Open Streets Macon, $20,000: Bike Walk Macon will promote civic engagement to foster future development of Macon’s multi-modal policies and infrastructures and provide opportunities for walking and biking on downtown streets. This includes supporting the planning, promotion and evaluation costs of Open Streets Macon. The idea meets the need in 4.3 (d) of MAP to make it easier to live in the urban core without a car.

There are three more grant cycles for the Downtown Challenge, with the next deadline on September 15, 2017. The grant application is now live to apply. For more information and to apply, visit downtownchallengemacon.org.