Macon is a growing center for talent, opportunity and connective ideas. The upcoming Garage PARKlet on the top level of Mulberry Street Parking Garage seeks to interactively show just that for 24 hours of reimagined space on Nov. 3-4.
 
Mercer University junior Cole Porter, from Dublin, is the project leader for Garage PARKlet, which invites all types of people to come on up and create the fun in a free and temporary park located an otherwise underutilized parking deck.
 
The project is a winner of the 2017 Knight Cities Challenge, an initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which sought ideas to make the 26 cities where Knight invests, including Macon, more vibrant places to live and work.
 
“The vision is for all to come out and enjoy an inactive space that is enlivened with something for everyone,” said Porter, a political science major at Mercer and passionate advocate for parks and public spaces and their impact on a community.
 
Parkgoers can expect live music by a diverse range of Macon musicians, an artisan market, yoga, interactive art, park games, greenspace and more.
 
“Creating spaces where residents can connect with their city and each other is vital to building a more successful Macon. Garage PARKlet will move us closer to this goal, helping to develop lessons and insights on fostering civic spaces that showcase our city’s talents and give rise to new ideas and relationships,” said Lynn Murphey, Knight Foundation program director for Macon.