‘Fading 5’ highlights endangered buildings, stalled tax credit

The Historic Macon Foundation released its 11th annual Fading Five list Thursday — with an interesting twist.

The foundation — which launched the Fading Five initiative in 2015 to raise awareness and support of Macon’s historic but often forgotten and neglected structures — brought over four structures from last year’s list and added a building category for its fifth slot.

This year’s list features the Hillyer-Kernaghan House at 2715 Cherokee Ave., the D.T. Walton Building at 591 D.T. Walton Way, The Roxy Theatre at 445 Hazel St., the Dr. E.E. Green House at 353 Madison St. and the category, which includes downtown’s historic but vacant commercial buildings.

The list started after commercial developers took over historic properties, including the Tremont Temple Baptist Church building at 860 Forsyth St., in 2014. A jury — composed of Historic Macon members and community representatives — makes decisions regarding the Fading Five list.

This year’s focus on vacant commercial buildings highlights the role of Georgia’s historic tax credit program in revitalizing downtown industrial spaces. In the past decade, downtown Macon has experienced a renaissance with the addition of restaurants, lofts and stores. The tax credit has been instrumental in that success, according to foundation officials.

The credit ensures property owners receive a percentage of their building rehabilitation costs back, but state funds for the program have dried up well ahead of the program’s 2029 renewal date.

Local groups, including the foundation, are advocating for the Georgia General Assembly to better fund the program, citing $800 million of private investment across the state since 2020. 

Several of Macon’s historic buildings — such as the former Macon Rescue Mission building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the former Masonic Lodge building on First Street — could benefit from the credit, according to the press release.

“Georgia’s state historic tax credit has been instrumental in the restoration and reuse of buildings large and small,” Nathan Lott, executive director of Historic Macon, said in the release. “Lawmakers must act to raise the cap or risk losing investment dollars to other states and stalling progress for Macon and other communities.”

Twenty-one properties have been featured on the list — 15 of which have been preserved or saved. Structures are removed from the list if they are deemed preserved or no longer endangered, according to a press release from the foundation.

One of the 21 properties was “lost,” said foundation officials.