Read the original article from the Macon Melody here
Knight Foundation VP Francesca de Quesada Covey writes that Macon’s revival reflects strong anchors and engaged residents.
I am taken with Macon.
As Knight Foundation’s new vice president of community impact, I had the privilege last week of getting to know the city in person for the first time. From the beauty of the Hay House, to art at Rabbit Hole, to music at the Otis Redding Center for the Arts, to incredible food at Sweet Eleanor’s and Dovetail — I cannot wait to come back!
What struck me most was this: Macon is a living demonstration of how philanthropy can help align its anchor institutions, its cultural identity and its entrepreneurial spirit to renew its vibrancy.
For me the model is clear and seen in three recent efforts.
Mercer’s hard, visionary choice
Decades ago, Mercer University made a difficult but transformative decision: it chose to grow with Macon, not away from it. At a moment when many universities were retreating behind gates, Mercer tore down its fence. It recognized that its greatest asset was not inside the campus perimeter — but in the community beyond it.
That choice changed everything. Mercer invested more than $200 million downtown. Knight’s early $5 million seed funding for College Hill helped attract more than $110 million in additional investment. Homes were restored. Public spaces came alive. Hundreds of new housing units and new businesses followed. A once-quiet downtown began to thrive.
And Mercer is not finished. Last month, the university broke ground on an $82 million downtown medical school campus — part of a broader $400 million vision that includes a convention center, a hotel and a new trailhead to the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. Mercer shows what happens when an anchor institution embraces its civic role: it becomes an engine of shared prosperity.
Decades of planning around a national treasure
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Macon’s resurgence also reflects long-term planning around its most significant cultural asset: Ocmulgee Mounds. If established, the new Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve would be more than just a preservation achievement — it would be the fruition of an economic development strategy rooted in conservation, partnership and pride.
The alignment of the park with the new downtown convention center positions Macon as a cultural and tourism hub. It creates a corridor where history, recreation, and commerce intersect. And it proves something essential: generational opportunities require generational commitment.
I am delighted to know that the U.S. Congress has started discussing how to continue investing in this park.
Small businesses make downtown breathe
As important as they are, a downtown doesn’t come alive through major institutions alone. It comes alive through local small business owners — the people who unlock doors every morning, take risks and shape the character of a place.
That is why Knight has invested deeply in NewTown Macon. We’ve seen firsthand how NewTown’s toolkit — capital access, training and public-private partnerships — equips entrepreneurs to succeed. Their impact is visible everywhere:
— Hotel Forty Five anchoring a major intersection.
— New downtown housing and retail opening early 2026 at Neel’s Lofts and 552 DT Walton Way opening spring 2027.
— Bohemian Den celebrating makers and artists.
— The Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza drawing thousands of families downtown.
As a result of their work, Macon’s small business survival rate is now reaching 85 to 90%, compared to a national average of just 50%. That is what happens when a city bets on its own people.
The Macon model
Across my visit, I kept seeing the same pattern — a set of principles that, together, form what I am calling the Macon Model:
— Anchor institutions lead boldly, stepping into their civic role.
— Communities plan for decades, not election cycles.
— Small businesses are empowered, not overshadowed.
— Cultural identity becomes economic strength, not nostalgia.
— Philanthropy is patient, investing alongside residents for generations.
This approach is not accidental. It is intentional and led with great insight by a myriad of local leaders in collaboration with Knight Foundation’s own Macon Director Lynn Murphey.
Macon’s success reminds me of something fundamental: other cities have the tools they need to follow Macon’s lead. Every Knight community has anchor institutions, cultural assets, entrepreneurs and local leaders with the potential to drive lasting change. What Macon shows us is how powerful those forces become when they move in concert.
As we look ahead, Knight Foundation is committed not only to growing with Macon — but to scaling the Macon Model across our 26 communities. We can foster deeper university-city partnerships, strengthen small business ecosystems, invest in cultural and historic assets, and commit to the kind of patient capital that makes transformation possible.
Macon didn’t just inspire me. It offered a roadmap — one we are ready to carry forward.
Francesca de Quesada Covey is the vice president of community impact for Knight Foundation. The foundation invests in local journalism, arts and culture, and community development in the 26 cities and towns where John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Those Knight communities include, in Georgia, Macon, Columbus and Milledgeville. The Macon Melody’s work is made possible by a landmark investment from the foundation.