NewTown Macon is an independent nonprofit that revitalizes Downtown Macon. We make it safe and beautiful and fun and affordable. We help local entrepreneurs open businesses and develop properties downtown. We host public events every week. We help people find great places to live. We create accessible green space. And we offer our advice and business expertise to any Maconite who needs it.
Learn more
about our programs
Real Estate
Development
One of NewTown Macon’s primary functions is helping create a vibrant, beautiful, and economically robust downtown community. By helping local developers find, finance, and create incredible real estate projects, we are literally building tomorrow’s Macon.
- We provide up-to-date analysis of the market so developers can make wise decisions.
- We make sure developers make full use of Macon’s many tax and business incentives.
- We offer the Developer’s Academy, our own ‘real estate bootcamp’ where real estate amateurs become professionals and professionals become titans.
Business
NewTown Macon is the loudest, largest champion for downtown businesses. We help launch new businesses, keep existing businesses thriving, and create a collaborative vision for what Downtown Macon’s economic future will look like. We advocate for local business owners, employees, and customers in countless ways, including:
- Directly financing local businesses, via NewTown Loans.
- Providing reliable, sophisticated data on the state of downtown business.
- Delivering expert business coaching and advice, whether one-on-one or through our popular Entrepreneur’s Academy.
- Fostering a more diverse, representative collection of downtown entrepreneurs and business owners.
Living
Downtown Macon offers a lifestyle very few cities can deliver. Stunning classical architecture with modern amenities. Spacious loft apartments at affordable rates. Countless restaurants, bars, theaters, and coffee shops just steps from your front door—almost all of which are Macon-born-and-bred businesses. Our BID team keeps the streets clean and comfortable. And all this without the congestion or expense of Atlanta or the boredom and sameness of the Georgia backroads.
Trails
The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, which runs 13 miles along the Ocmulgee River just a few blocks north of downtown, is one of NewTown Macon’s greatest achievements. By raising private funds, we are constantly improving, expanding, and preserving this vital slice of historic beauty—a way to quickly escape the vibrancy of urban life for the serenity of nature. Every day the trail invites visitors to picnic on the riverbanks, walk or run or cycle the paths, launch a canoe or kayak onto the water, enjoy the playgrounds, or make their way directly to the Ocmulgee Mounds, a national historical park occupying land that was settled more than 17,000 years ago (and which has been inhabited nonstop since).
Experience
NewTown Macon maintains a very active calendar of downtown events. Nearly every day or night, you can find something special going on—including concerts, food and art markets, holiday activities, learning experiences, and more. Our “First Friday” series offers a monthly chance to see the best of downtown. Whether an outing for the whole family, a solo adventure, or a romantic night with your partner, Downtown Macon has an event you’ll love.
