Georgia lawmakers are certain to revisit the issue of legal gambling in the upcoming legislative session. But meanwhile, Lester Miller, mayor of Macon-Bibb County, already has been holding talks with casino owners and operators regarding a casino in the former Macon Mall. He said, “Certainly not anything I’m necessarily advocating for, but if it does come to Macon, I’m going to want to know where it’s going to be at, so to have the largest impact that we would need to have.”
Miller said he expects Georgia lawmakers to call for a voter referendum next year, for approval of a constitutional amendment that would allow up to four casinos and two racetracks in the state. “There’s no secret that they’re considering Macon-Bibb County as a potential site,” Miller said.
He stated “not one additional tax penny” would go toward a casino project. He noted the mall would offer room for a hotel and other amenities. He’s already planning to move several government agencies into the mall. Other tenants could include a national restaurant chain and indoor pickleball courts. Requests for qualifications recently were issued to design-build teams for the 10,000-seat amphitheater and sky boxes to be built on an 18-acre site next to the mall. Next to that, Miller hopes to build a “Mac Town” restaurant plaza and restrooms.
“If we can make that happen, we’d probably have the largest in the nation for an indoor pickleball court, so certainly brings a lot of tax revenue in. It’s a very popular sport. It’s going to be here to stay,” Miller said.
Miller, who has been promoting the mall project prior to being elected mayor, said interest is growing in the possible development. “We’ve had people reach out to us already wanting to buy skyboxes, want to look at VIP suites, reserving those. And we’ve had a couple of people who’ve been interested in and paying upwards of $200,000 to $250,000 for naming rights for the amphitheater. So, I think we’re going to get some very good momentum out of that and we’re looking to break ground in February.”
