Mercer breaks ground on downtown Macon medical school as donors and state pledge major funding

Mercer University President Bill Underwood led a ceremonial groundbreaking in downtown Macon-Bibb County, announcing plans for a new Mercer School of Medicine complex that he said will exceed 150,000 square feet and cost more than $80 million for the medical school portion.

Underwood said the downtown location was chosen to catalyze broader development around the campus. "If you don't try, it's not gonna happen," he said, summarizing a four-year effort to site the facility downtown and crediting trustees, local leaders and partners for assembling the site.

Why it matters: University and city officials told attendees the medical school is intended both to expand medical education and to spur downtown redevelopment that could include housing, retail and hospitality. Underwood said foundations and individuals have contributed about $70,000,000 so far and that the project still needs roughly $10,000,000 to…