Historic Macon Foundation will hold a public meeting with the future developers of Alexander IV Elementary School, Dover Development Corporation, on Tuesday, January 10 at 6pm. The meeting will be held at Alex IV (3769 Ridge Avenue) in the historic Ingleside neighborhood. Any person interested in the preservation and development of Alex IV is invited to attend.

Representatives of Dover Development, a firm based in Knoxville, TN, will present their rehabilitation plans for Alex IV to the community during the public meeting. Dover Development proposes to appropriately rehab the existing structure and build an architecturally compatible new wing. The development will consist of 60 units for senior living and create 30 new and permanent jobs. Construction is anticipated to start in the spring of 2017 with an expected completion date of late 2018.

In November of 2016, HMF announced that Dover Development submitted the winning proposal to redevelop Alex IV as a senior living facility for a total investment of $8.8 million. Dover Development was selected by a committee of community members to rehab Alex IV. HMF worked with Commissioner Mallory Jones to purchase Alex IV from the Macon-Bibb County Board of Education using blight bond funds. The Macon-Bibb County Land Bank Authority acquired Alex IV in early 2016. Since that time, Historic Macon worked with the committee to find an appropriate developer for the historic school. Part of this process included holding a public meeting that over 100 people attended in April of 2016.

“Historic Macon is excited to introduce the community to Dover Development and to present the corporation’s plans for rehabbing Alex IV,” said Ethiel Garlington, executive director of Historic Macon. “The community has expressed interest in saving the historic school for some time and its inclusion in Macon’s Fading Five provided the momentum to match the school with an appropriate developer. Historic Macon will continue to celebrate this preservation success story by holding its annual Patrons’ Party for members at Alex IV in late January.”

Alex IV was included in Macon’s Fading Five in August 2015. Since being added to Macon’s Fading Five, Historic Macon’s preservation committee and staff have worked with community stakeholders and the Board of Education to find an appropriate preservation solution for the landmark in Ingleside Historic District.