In 1996, the Peyton Anderson Foundation enabled a group of visionaries to start NewTown Macon which was founded as a public-private partnership to implement a coordinated, continuous plan for revitalizing downtown Macon.  The mission is to invest time, resources, and money in local people and businesses to achieve a vision of a city led by locals that's booming and real. Since its inception, NewTown Macon has operated on a five-year capital campaign model for growth and sustainability. With each campaign, NewTown researches, measures, and evaluates benchmarks to streamline our efforts and priorities in five year increments. NewTown launches campaigns with the main priority to leverage massive economic and cultural benefits for our entire region by converting latent potential into a tangible reality. Capital campaigns allow NewTown to create a self-sustaining infrastructure to support downtown as an economic engine and cultural hub for all of Central Georgia. For the past 30 years, NewTown has gotten fingerprints over many rehabilitation and development projects downtown investing around 960 million dollars.

A cornerstone in the revitalization plan during this first phase was the seeding of a commercial development on 13 acres of property along the Ocmulgee River that is strategically connected to downtown. This project included the riverfront properties extending from Spring Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. NewTown Macon organized property acquisition, relocation of the public transportation authority and central services, site preparation and infrastructure development at a cost of $10 million.

In approximately 2001, the first section of walkable trail was installed across the river from Gateway Park, connecting the Otis Redding and Spring Street bridges. By 2006, over nine miles of the trail were constructed, an $8.5 million dollar project.

NewTown’s second campaign, The Welcome Home Campaign, kicked off Phase 2 which focused on marketing Macon’s historical beauty and reputation to attract locals back to Macon’s historic city center. Phase 1 laid down the groundwork for this phase by restoring and renovating iconic Macon landmarks and acquiring properties to bring locals in. During this phase, NewTown focused on storefront recruitment and small business support, successfully bringing 61 new enterprises to the downtown core. By providing gap financing and marketing Macon as a destination, this campaign triggered massive private investment in historic lofts and commercial spaces. NewTown was able to leverage over $135 million in restoration or construction.

This civic project beautified the block in front of Terminal Station and the Tubman Museum, creating a grand entrance to the city's museum district and improving pedestrian flow from the station to the river.

The transition into Phase 3 marked a fundamental shift in strategy for NewTown Macon. The Focus on the Future campaign launched in 2012 and focused on a block-by-block approach to adding residents and businesses and creative ways of leveraging capital to reinvigorate downtown’s revitalization. Moving away from the grand landmark projects of the previous decade, this era prioritized human-scale, incremental growth and data-backed residential density. Under new leadership and guided by meticulous market research, NewTown began treating downtown as a living neighborhood rather than just a tourism destination. By focusing on filling the gaps between existing assets, this phase transformed the city center into a high-demand residential market and a self-sustaining ecosystem of local entrepreneurship.

In April 2014, Josh Rogers transitioned from his role at Historic Macon Foundation to become President and CEO of NewTown Macon. Rogers had the unique ability to use market economics to meet the needs of Maconites and match philanthropic investments. He introduced a data-driven philosophy rooted in the principles of incremental development. This shift moved the organization’s focus toward small-scale property owners and local entrepreneurs, emphasizing that dozens of small improvements create more long-term stability than a single massive development.

This phase focused on establishing a physical and organizational foundation for downtown Macon by implementing the community-led Macon Action Plan (MAP). During this phase, the primary objectives were to double market-rate loft housing to over 1,000 units and achieve 80% storefront occupancy within three specific "target blocks". This era also prioritized physical connectivity, specifically linking neighborhoods to the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and advocating for the Ocmulgee National Monument to receive National Historical Park status. These efforts were supported by a $6.5 million capital campaign and the growth of the private Godsey Initiatives Fund.

The Developer's Academy is an intensive six-class course designed to equip aspiring developers with the necessary skills to undertake real estate projects in downtown Macon. With a focus on bridging the gap between available housing stock and the interests of local developers, this program provides participants with the resources, connections, and knowledge needed to succeed in real estate development.

In September 2018, NewTown Macon officially became a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the first of its kind in Central Georgia. This status allowed NewTown to access federal funds to provide loans to entrepreneurs. This was a catalyst for diversity; by the end of 2018, NewTown reached a milestone where 30% of downtown storefronts were Black-owned, significantly outpacing national averages for downtown districts.

The current phase builds upon NewTown’s first 25 years of success, and downtown’s newfound confidence, to accelerate the growth of downtown Macon with a focus on investing in local entrepreneurs and real estate developers. With the Leveraging Local Campaign launched in 2022, NewTown’s goal is to produce $100 million in new local investment. This initiative specifically focuses on equipping locals by providing the financing, training, and resources necessary for 20 renting entrepreneurs to purchase their buildings. This move shifts the economic power from outside landlords to the local business owners who drive downtown's daily vibrancy.

In May 2024, Macon received the nation’s highest honor for downtown revitalization: the Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA). Main Street America recognized NewTown for its data-driven approach to residential density and its industry-leading success in diversity.

With the help of the Peyton Anderson Foundation, NewTown was able to buy the Bibb Theatre in 2018. After standing vacant for 47 years, NewTown announced official rehabilitating plans for the Bibb Theatre. In an effort to revive the downtown spot, NewTown will use the area as a coworking space for Visit Macon's Rock Candy Tours and the Creek 100.9 FM.