Whitney went on to explain how even though she and Macie knew they would need a more permanent location for each of their businesses , they felt improving the temporary locations they leased was the right thing to do , as a way of paying it forward to their community and surrounding businesses .
“ We wanted to make sure anything that we touched , we left it better than it was , so that ’ s what we ’ ve tried to do . So , [ Macie ] renovated the building she ’ s in now , even though she ’ s leasing it . We renovated the building we ’ re in now , even though we knew we would be leasing it for a short period of time , because we wanted to give back to the downtown area ,” Whitney said .
Whitney , Chad and Macie credited the collective work between not only themselves but also the numerous community partners that had a hand in supporting them with every aspect of the renovation . In keeping with their desire to support the community , the trio ensured every aspect of the renovation process involved businesses from around the immediate area .
“ That ’ s what I ’ m the most excited about -- how many local businesses are involved in this project alone ,” Macie said . “ Every single vendor that is been involved in this project has been local .”
Whitney detailed how significant it was to request and receive local support from all involved – from contractors to local government officials .
“ It was important to us to use local vendors – local contractors , local subcontractors … from the origination of the loan , to the materials for construction , everything . Even design -- we worked with local designers and home décor from downtown . That was incredibly important to us and we ’ re super happy that we ’ ve been able to achieve that goal ,” she explained . “ So , it ’ s been a huge collaborative effort , not just from us three , but from city officials , that have made things very easy to help us every step of the way , crossing every ‘ T ,’ dotting every ‘ I ,’ doing everything up to code . That ’ s been huge .”
Even their fellow business neighbors on and around the square were “ amazing to work with , and super excited about us working together on the revitalization ,” Whitney said .
Upon its debut , the building ’ s first tenants will include Macie ’ s boutique , The Flossy Peach , and Whitney ’ s State Farm agency on the first floor , according to Chad . Final decisions have yet to be made on what businesses will occupy the additional 8,000 square feet on the top floor .
“ We ’ ll let the dust settle after a year or so downstairs . But it just excites us that it ’ s improvement , it ’ s breathing fresh life into the downtown area . We ’ re proud to be a part of that ” he said . “ We ’ re proud to finally take part [ with ] those that are really putting a lot of time , money and effort and passion into their buildings that they own , and we ’ re proud to say we ’ re part of that .”
At one point , the building was an eyesore , and one of the last properties on the block that was in dire need of attention , Macie said . She went on to explain how she , Whitney and Chad share an overwhelming sense of love , care and concern about the city of Moultrie , and how they have worked diligently to express that dedication through this project .
“ When you drive by that building , we want you to be proud of the way that project has turned out -- in the way the building looks ,” she said . “ Whether you do business with us or not , we want that building to make you proud . That ’ s our goal .”
JANUARY 2023 MoultrieScene 27