Macon's obsession with its downtown (Atlanta, Columbus: school, stats, airports)
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Downtown Macon has TONS of potential. I hope something happens!
Because of their location in the middle of the state, Macon-Warner Robins could have easily been the second-largest metro area in Georgia by now. Had there been better early leadership and a cross-state interstate (connecting Columbus to Augusta through Macon) I bet it would have happened.
If you've never seen the 1979 John Huston film "Wise Blood" (based on the Flannery O'conner novel), it was filmed entirely in Macon and shows what downtown looked like in the pat 1970s. Lots of really great downtown Macon street scenes.
Florence and Macon maybe be comparable when you are considering both DT areas needs more revitalization; But as peer or comparable size cities they don't compare.... Florence is only 17.7 sq mil in size with a pop 37,056 and metro 205,566; Macon Consolidated city 255.13 sq mil; City proper 56.5 sq mil /Pop 91,000 with a Consolidated city pop 155,547. Macon Metro 222,368 with a CSA 404,668.
Those population stats clearly show that Florence and Macon are comparable in size, so you've not really disproved anything there. Cities can't really be consolidated with their counties in SC; otherwise, Florence would have about 138K people. Macon is a little bigger than Florence, but again, they are comparable and are definitely peer cities.
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Also there is so much more to Macon than what you listed; Macon has access to 3 Interstates 75, 16 & 475 Bypass. It has the Largest rail yard in the southeast and the 2nd largest medical faculty in the state of GA. Not only is there Mercer, But Macon State and Wesleyan and a host of tech colleges...I can create a long list of how Macon is not a peer cities in any respect with Florence. To be honest the Downtown areas are not even comparable.
I only listed the similarities between the two places; I didn't list everything Florence has either. Florence has a major CSX rail yard, a few other colleges in the metro, and McLeod Regional Medical Center, which is pretty large and important for a city Florence's size.
Macon's downtown is definitely in better shape than Florence's, but in most respects, yes the two are peer cities with metros under half a million and similar amenities and attributes. Sorry, but there really isn't any "long list" you can contrive to make it seem as though Macon is in a league with metros over half a million like Augusta, Chattanooga, Columbia, Charleston, Knoxville, Greenville, etc. and that Florence is a step below. Macon might be closer to that league but it's still not in it.
Downtown Macon has TONS of potential. I hope something happens!
Because of their location in the middle of the state, Macon-Warner Robins could have easily been the second-largest metro area in Georgia by now. Had there been better early leadership and a cross-state interstate (connecting Columbus to Augusta through Macon) I bet it would have happened.
Its proximity to Atlanta seems like it should have prompted more growth as well.
I'm thinking lackluster leadership over the years has really stifled its potential more than anything. A direct connection to Augusta and Columbus would be nice, but you can't beat direct connections to Atlanta and Savannah.
They may be peer cities on paper, but Macon most certainly has a bigger pull on Georgia -- and the nation -- than Florence does in South Carolina. Macon is indeed the de facto "Heart of Georgia" and has a vast reach for retail, medical and media.
The Macon Coliseum (now Centreplex) was the largest sports arena in the state when it was built in the early 1970s and still plays host to the state high school basktball tournaments. MCCG is the 2nd-largest hosptial complex in the state after Grady in Atlanta. Macon Mall was once the largest in Georgia. In the 1970s as well, Macon was the epicenter of the Southern rock music craze and at least as well known for music as Athens is today.
For many years, the Macon Telegraph was the 2nd-largest newspaper in the state after the AJC (it is now third, behind The Augusta Chronicle). The same cannot be said for the Florence Morning News, which is not a major player among SC newspapers. Despite its close proximity to Atlanta, Macon is a stand-alone TV market served by all 4 major networks. Florence shares a TV market with Myrtle Beach, 68 miles away.
Further, Florence County has just 137,000 people in 800 square miles -- a density of 171 PPSM. Bibb County has 166,000 people in 255 square miles -- a density of 661 PPSM. Macon is simply FAR more densely developed and urban, with a bigger downtown core, than Florence.
The Macon-Warner Robins CSA is home to 405,000 -- almost twice as many as the Florence MSA.
For certain, Macon has seen better times. But even so, there is no way a reasonable person would call Macon, GA and Florence, SC peer cities. Florence's "peers" in Georgia would be Athens, Albany, Valdosta and Gainesville.
They may be peer cities on paper, but Macon most certainly has a bigger pull on Georgia -- and the nation -- than Florence does in South Carolina. Macon is indeed the de facto "Heart of Georgia" and has a vast reach for retail, medical and media.
The Macon Coliseum (now Centreplex) was the largest sports arena in the state when it was built in the early 1970s and still plays host to the state high school basktball tournaments. MCCG is the 2nd-largest hosptial complex in the state after Grady in Atlanta. Macon Mall was once the largest in Georgia. In the 1970s as well, Macon was the epicenter of the Southern rock music craze and at least as well known for music as Athens is today.
For many years, the Macon Telegraph was the 2nd-largest newspaper in the state after the AJC (it is now third, behind The Augusta Chronicle). The same cannot be said for the Florence Morning News, which is not a major player among SC newspapers. Despite its close proximity to Atlanta, Macon is a stand-alone TV market served by all 4 major networks. Florence shares a TV market with Myrtle Beach, 68 miles away.
Further, Florence County has just 137,000 people in 800 square miles -- a density of 171 PPSM. Bibb County has 166,000 people in 255 square miles -- a density of 661 PPSM. Macon is simply FAR more densely developed and urban, with a bigger downtown core, than Florence.
The Macon-Warner Robins CSA is home to 405,000 -- almost twice as many as the Florence MSA.
For certain, Macon has seen better times. But even so, there is no way a reasonable person would call Macon, GA and Florence, SC peer cities. Florence's "peers" in Georgia would be Athens, Albany, Valdosta and Gainesville.
Obviously Macon was once much more important than it is now, but yes, it is certainly within reason to call it a peer city with Florence today. They are in the same general tier of cities/metros with Macon occupying a higher slot within that tier--similar to Augusta and Columbia, SC being in the same tier but with Columbia occupying a higher slot on the totem pole.
The difference here may be in how Georgians classify tiers of cities. You guys generally put Augusta, Macon, Savannah, and Columbus in the same tier whereas they wouldn't all be in the same tier if they were located in, say, SC or NC. It's pretty much a result of the "Atlanta then everywhere else" effect.
Obviously Macon was once much more important than it is now, but yes, it is certainly within reason to call it a peer city with Florence today. They are in the same general tier of cities/metros with Macon occupying a higher slot within that tier--similar to Augusta and Columbia, SC being in the same tier but with Columbia occupying a higher slot on the totem pole.
The difference here may be in how Georgians classify tiers of cities. You guys generally put Augusta, Macon, Savannah, and Columbus in the same tier whereas they wouldn't all be in the same tier if they were located in, say, SC or NC. It's pretty much a result of the "Atlanta then everywhere else" effect.
Well,you probably can make a good debate with Savannah and Columbus being in the same tire in Georgia.
Savannah,GA MSA-364,840. Up 17,229 from 2010.
(Savannah-Hinesville-Fort Stewart,GA CSA-446,704. Up 21,176 from 2010.)
Columbus,GA-AL MSA-306,453. Up 11,588 from 2010.
(Columbus-Auburn-Opelika,GA-AL CSA-474,850. Up 18,286 from 2010.)
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