FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 18, 2014 Media Contact: Nadia Osman, (478) 361-1313 or nadia@collegehillmacon.com Lofts at College Hill Breaks Ground in the College Hill Corridor Macon, GA – The College Hill Alliance hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on July 18 to welcome construction of the latest mixed-used development, the Lofts at College Hill, in the historic College Hill Corridor. The Lofts, which are located behind the U.S. Post Office on College Street and bounded by Hardeman and Georgia Avenues, will feature 146 one and twobedroom student apartments, as well as 12,000-square-feet of retail space. Amenities will include a 3,800-square-foot clubhouse, complete fitness center with a yoga room and an outdoor gathering area with a fire pit, water feature and al fresco dining. The building will also have a rooftop terrace for residents to enjoy panoramic views of the city. Sierra Development, a Macon-based commercial development firm, is behind this new project. Jim Daws, president of Sierra Development, announced the first Lofts at College Hill business, Boba Mocha, and future retail plans. “Boba Mocha will be the newest coffee and tea shop in town; a fusion café that serves a variety of food and snacks. This store is a partnership between Ken Ong, from Atlanta, and Judy Chen, a Mercer University alumna from Macon. We are currently talking with other retailers that will complement the café and will be attractive to our residents and the neighborhood.” The Lofts at College Hill is Sierra Development’s fourth large-scale venture in the Corridor, including Lofts Phase I, II and III on the perimeter of the Mercer campus. “The Lofts at College Hill is another major step toward fulfilling the College Hill Master Plan,” said Mercer President William D. Underwood. “In less than five years we have been able to attract new residents, recruit new businesses, and improve the aesthetics in the College Hill Corridor through partnerships like the one we have with Sierra Development. It has been a very productive collaboration, and we are grateful to Jim Daws and his partners for helping make the Corridor an even better place to live, work and play.” The project addresses a key recommendation of the College Hill Corridor Master Plan to redevelop the once-vacant property and fill it with both retail and housing. This mixture of uses will create a social connection between students and residents, while the location of the Lofts at a major gateway to the Corridor will create a physical connection, linking the interstate to College Hill and Downtown Macon. The students that will fill the Lofts as well as the patrons and owners of the businesses that will operate in the space are part of a larger story of the revitalization occurring in Macon’s historic neighborhoods. Since the inception of the College Hill Corridor initiative, more than $91 million in public and private investment has been leveraged in the roughly two-square-mile area.
Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert said, “I’m delighted to see this type of living growing in popularity in College Hill and Downtown. It shows us that people in Macon-Bibb – as they are across the country – are looking to live closer in to town, where they can more easily get to work, parks, retail, and restaurants. With more residents and foot traffic in the area, additional residents and businesses will look to locate in the area, increasing the opportunities for jobs and the tax base.” About the College Hill Alliance: Established by a grant to Mercer University from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 2009, the College Hill Alliance assists the community in creating positive change to the physical, social and economic fabric of the College Hill Corridor, a two-square-mile area between Mercer’s campus and Macon, Georgia’s downtown business district. For more information, contact Nadia Osman at the College Hill Alliance: 478.361.1313 / nadia@collegehillmacon.com. Visit collegehillmacon.com. About Mercer University: Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University enrolls more than 8,300 students in 12 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing, health professions, and continuing and professional studies – on campuses in Macon, Atlanta and Savannah – and four regional academic centers across the state. The Mercer Health Sciences Center, launched July 1, 2012, includes the University's medical, nursing, health sciences and pharmacy schools. Mercer is affiliated with four teaching hospitals – Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and The Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus. The University also has educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. It operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon and an engineering research center in Warner Robins. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. www.mercer.edu About Sierra Development Sierra Development specializes in lifestyle-rich multifamily developments throughout the Southeast. By combining top-tier talent with a solid reputation, Sierra Development has become a premier multifamily development company, offering a collection of stunning new landmarks thoughtfully located in upscale niche markets. With properties recognized for their prime locations and enduring standards, Sierra’s communities are synonymous with quality, luxury and exceptional value. Sierra Development transforms ideas and dreams into reality. ###