Mercer University will construct a new building for the School of Medicine overlooking the Ocmulgee River in downtown Macon, the first step in a major redevelopment of the area.
The Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority approved selling 11 parcels at 815 Riverside Drive, between Spring and Second streets, to the University on Feb. 27.
“Developing a riverfront home for the Mercer University School of Medicine seizes a unique opportunity to construct a stunning new facility designed to meet the needs of a growing student population with 21st century technology at an important gateway into Macon,” Mercer President William D. Underwood said.
The medical school has grown dramatically since it opened in 1982, more than doubling the number of M.D. students from 96 to 240 and adding Ph.D. and master’s-level programs.
“More and better instructional and research space is required to accommodate a growing number of students, scientists, technicians and graduate students, as well as more advanced equipment and technology,” said School of Medicine Dean Jean R. Sumner, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Trying to replace the existing facility on the main campus would be difficult due to space limitations, Underwood said, and relocating the medical school downtown will create an opportunity to have a transformative impact on the broader Macon community.
“It will attract related residential, retail and hotel development to what will become a vibrant and attractive new entry point into downtown Macon,” he said. “The overall impact on downtown Macon will be transformational in building on the highly successful revitalization efforts of the past decade.”
Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller said the development will tie in directly with the county’s work at the site of the demolished hotel on First Street and the East Bank development along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“Our city along the Ocmulgee River and First Street is about to undergo a major transformation,” he said.
