MACON, Ga. -- Over the past several years, downtown Macon has been seeing an uptick in the amount of loft apartments available for rent.
Though the sheer number of units available may seem like overkill, Josh Rogers with Newtown Macon said that the demand is absolutely there.
Rogers said that currently, the demand for lofts in downtown Macon sits at about 250 units per year. He said that developers are adding about 100 units per year on average.
Now, the new Capricorn Lofts that are being built around Capricorn Studios on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be adding 137 units, surpassing the yearly average.
"The closer we get to meeting that projection for how many lofts we need, the faster everything else downtown changes," Rogers said.
Rogers said that he believes there are two main factors behind the increased demand for downtown lofts. One, he said that many are beginning to realize that downtown is being revitalized and are seeing the area as an attractive place to live.
The second reason behind the surge is that he believes millenials are interested in living in a walkable community. He said that it is important to that demographic to be able to walk to work, food and fun instead of driving and these downtown lofts provide just that.
Additionally, Rogers said that the development of these lofts is helping local business.
He said that almost all of the developers of these units are businesses that are headquartered in Macon rather than out-of-town developers. This is helping to push money into homegrown businesses.
Futhermore, Rogers said that on average, with every 15 units that are built, one business will follow. Therefore, he said that with the increase in lofts, that can only mean an increase in local businesses in downtown Macon, which contributes to the revitalization effort.
Downtown Macon loft living is booming, contributing to local economy | WGXA
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