Statesboro, Bulloch County and Georgia Southern University community leaders gathered at little Jones Lane Park across from the university’s historic Southern Drive entrance at noon Wednesday and ceremonially broke ground for the Blue Mile Gateway. The gateway is the first brick-and-mortar public project in the Blue Mile plan for South Main Street revitalization, which made Statesboro one of eight finalists in the America’s Best Communities competition. So far, the community has received $150,000 in prize money for further planning and for projects such as the gateway, but the third-, second- and first-place communities will be selected in April and awarded $1 million, $2 million or $3 million, respectively, for further redevelopment work.