The Georgia Main Street program announced Macon will be added to the list of 18 cities that hold the designation of a Georgia Exceptional Main Street (GEMS) community. This prestigious recognition is a testament to Macon's unwavering commitment to fostering growth, nurturing excellence, and driving innovation within its downtown area.

The GEMS designation is earned by cities that demonstrate exceptional dedication to advancing downtown economic development and local culture. Macon's selection as a GEMS Community underscores its significant achievements in promoting sustainable development, cultivating a vibrant business environment, and enriching the quality of life for its residents.

Macon has long been celebrated for its rich history, cultural heritage, and deep-rooted community values. With this new designation, Macon aims to become a model city for others to emulate, setting new benchmarks for progress and prosperity.

GEMS cities represent some of the best Main Street Programs offered by the state. “These Main Streets have gone above and beyond expectations by making a strong and positive impact in their communities while utilizing the Main Street Approach,” according to Jessica Worthington, the director of the Office of Downtown Development. “I want to congratulate Macon on their commitment to excellence and stable leadership that led to this designation,” she stated. Over the past three years, downtown Macon has seen millions of dollars in private and public investment, with an emphasis on housing, new businesses, and job creation.

Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Its network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1980, communities participating in the program have generated more than $101.58 billion in new public and private investment, generated 168,693 net new businesses and 746,897 net new jobs, rehabilitated more than 325,119 buildings, and leveraged over 33.7 million volunteer hours. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.