James May June 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 41
drawn the ire of some Columbus residents who say they
were “bamboozled” by the move, but Columbus officials
hope that also like the Battery the new development
will provide a major economic boom for its new home.
Effingham County In 2002 Effingham County pur-
Brunswick The Golden Isles Veterans Village in
downtown Brunswick comprises 30 tiny homes and a
community center, all meant to help homeless veterans in the area get back on their feet. Thanks to $2.1
million secured by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter in the FY24
Housing and Urban Development Appropriations
Bill, the project was able to install plumbing, heat/ac,
bedding and housewares in each of the homes. The
project is a 2–3-year program designed to counsel the
long-term homeless and transition them back into the
community, offering not only a roof over their heads
but also mental health counseling and educational
resources. “This is a critical project that will help our
country’s heroes, who made an immense sacrifice in
serving our nation, get back on their feet,” said Carter.
Cartersville Qcells’ massive solar panel factory in
Cartersville is still under construction— but the company has already begun producing panels, with the
first modules rolling off the assembly line in April. The
$2.5 billion facility, when complete, will be the first
fully-integrated solar supply chain in the U.S. This is
important because China has taken the global lead in
solar production. The Cartersville plant will eventually
produce a whopping 16,700 solar panels a day and feed
an industry that is expected to generate 7 percent of all
U.S. electricity in 2025, up from 4 percent in 2023.
Columbus Baseball will return to Columbus for the first
time since 2008 when the Mississippi Braves move
to the Fountain City next year. The Braves’ AA minor
league affiliate will play in Golden Park, one of the
most historic minor league ballparks in America having
opened in 1926. City officials approved $50 million to
go towards an overhaul of Golden Park, and also have
plans to build a Battery Atlanta-esque development in
the ‘South Commons’ area of the city including retail,
apartments, and restaurants. Like when the Atlanta
Braves relocated to Cobb Co. the announcement has
chased the old Atlas Sand Mine, located in the county’s northern end. It has existed as a hidden gem ever
since, an empty plot of land with a 138-acre lake, untouched by development. Now county commissioners
are working on a plan, dubbed the Atlas Lake Project,
to turn the lake into a recreation area for locals to enjoy, with swimming, kayaking and a beach area. Early
site plans also include a disc golf course, playground
and pavilion. County officials say they will open the
plans for public input soon, with County Chairman
Wesley Corbitt stating, “our goal is for this to be a
regional recreation facility that will be wonderful for
everyone, particularly our home constituents.”
Henry County One of the Georgia Department of
Transportation’s key initiatives is the newly created
Georgia Freight Rail Program which seeks to make
rail infrastructure upgrades around the state. One of
the program’s first projects is in Henry County, where
an $8.4 million grant to Norfolk Southern will be used
for the McDonough passing track improvement
project. The project will build additional passing tracks
along the heavily trafficked rail line between Macon
and Atlanta, easing congestion and reducing blocked
road crossings by trains.
Macon A recent federal spending bill included
$310,000 that will go towards the construction of
a planned cultural center and headquarters for the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Macon. The plan to
refurbish the historic Dewitt-McCrary house will be
part of what local officials hope will be the state’s first
National Park and Preserve at the Ocmulgee Mounds,
a project championed by U.S. Reps. Austin Scott and
Sanford Bishop. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation called
Middle Georgia home for 17,000 years before the federal government forced them to relocate west to make
room for settlers. This new center would focus on the
history of the tribe in the region, while national park
designation would ensure that surrounding lands are
protected in the future.
If you’ve got news from your local community
to share with our readers, please email us.
phickey@insideradvantage.com
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