Move Augusta Downtown (Atlanta, Savannah, Martinez: condos, crime, how much)

[River_Dawg]

Isnt a city's epic center suppose to be thier downtown area. A downtown is suppose to be the most visible part of the region and most active with foot traffic. Augusta's current downtown location doesnt allow its downtown be those things. Downtown should be located in an area where it could use all of it resources to draw people towards it. That what the big developers will ask, "how much of the percentage of the people who drive threw Augusta see downtown?"

Augusta downtown needs to be closer to I-20
Close to all three bodies of water downtown
surround it self in good location for the most money

Master plan for Downtown Augusta

I would have my two achors of downtown augusta. The first one would be VAR and I 20 on the westside. and the eastern anchors are the Medical District, Augusta Canal and the Savannah River. Riverwatch Parkway connects the westside (I 20) with eastside (Board Street). Connect all three bodies of water with each other and create a water way loop around the east area of downtown. Lake Olmstead will connect with the Augusta Canal and Savannah River. Augusta Canal most be developed to a RiverWalk look alike....San Antonio RiverWalk. On one side of Lake Olmstead (central) is the Julian Smith Park and the new GreenJacket Stadium multi-use entertainment blah blah lol and on the other side would be the lakefront Central Business Zone w/ hotels, small business restaurants and office buildings. Masters week traffic would amazing for Downtown on Lake Olmstead because of the short distants. Both side would be connected to the Augusta Canal and River Watch Parkway. River Watch connects into I 20.

East of the Augusta Canal would be East Augusta or Olde Town. This side of town would the historic district which would develope the tourist industry on that side of town.

The current location of down town is what is holding Augusta back. Time to think out of the box city leaders.

[nortonguy]

I do agree downtown Augusta isn't visible from either I-20 or I-520.. Why would you want any part of West Augusta to become downtown though? The majority of historical buildings and architecture are located in the Central Business District.. The 'new' downtown of West Augusta could be nice, but it wouldn't have the same character... The VAR is already growing without being apart of downtown.

Let's continue to focus and build up our current downtown first. Remember the economy killed the Watermark, Woolworth building, etc.. The Watermark(two condo towers, two hotels, 62k sq. ft. of office space, renovated train depot into retail) would have totally changed the face of downtown Augusta.. The economy delayed the Hyatt Place complex and Holiday Inn Express & Suites.. Downtown Augusta is on a major roll and several projects haven't begun yet.. In the year 2011 people in Augusta are finally taking downtown/inner city revitalization extra serious.

The CBD may have more foot traffic than the Medical District..

[River_Dawg]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

I do agree downtown Augusta isn't visible from either I-20 or I-520.. Why would you want any part of West Augusta to become downtown though? The majority of historical buildings and architecture are located in the Central Business District.. The 'new' downtown of West Augusta could be nice, but it wouldn't have the same character... The VAR is already growing without being apart of downtown.

I dont consider Lake Olmstead to be West Augusta. The CBD would become the CBZ once moved to Lake Olmstead shores. the old downtown could be a historian haven of old southern architecture and more a residential area.

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Let's continue to focus and build up our current downtown first. Remember the economy killed the Watermark, Woolworth building, etc.. The Watermark(two condo towers, two hotels, 62k sq. ft. of office space, renovated train depot into retail) would have totally changed the face of downtown Augusta.. The economy delayed the Hyatt Place complex and Holiday Inn Express & Suites.. Downtown Augusta is on a major roll and several projects haven't begun yet.. In the year 2011 people in Augusta are finally taking downtown/inner city revitalization extra serious.

They economy wouldn't have mattered if downtown was near I 20 and more visible to developers looking for the next opportunity. Downtown Augusta is not the greatest of location in the city to build. That why west Augusta and Columbia Co. are having great success. Its like putting lip stick on a pig try to attract a huge attraction toward downtown with its current location. Fort Discovery would still be in Augusta if it was visible from I 20 but no one could see it so gone now. High rises popping up from Lake Olmstead would be seen by more out of town travelers.

Originally Posted by nortonguy

The CBD may have more foot traffic than the Medical District..

If you connect Lake Olmstead with the Augusta Canal, which could be our version of the San Antonio Riverwalk, the would give Augusta a Waterway Loop. That something Atlanta nor Savannah have but its possible in Augusta.

[EastsideDave]

Sorry to be blunt, but this is a bad idea. An impossible idea. The sheer amount of money and resources to even accomplish this bad idea would be astronomical. You'd have to move thousands of people, destroy thousands of homes, etc. It's just NOT PLAUSIBLE, sorry.

Continue to redevelop the ACTUAL downtown. The ACTUAL downtown has character, history, charm, easy access, etc. You don't need a major interstate cutting thru the middle of downtown to have it successful, just look at Columbia, Savannah, Charleston, etc.

[nortonguy]

What area of Columbia County is having this great success compared to downtown(in terms of commercial growth in 2011)?? The main competition would be Evans.. Downtown would win easy over places like Harlem and Appling.. Which leaves Martinez and Grovetown... Keep in mind the population of the CBD is around 6k people.

I never said Lake Olmstead was apart of West Augusta.. The Village at Riverwatch area is located in West Augusta. This is really the only area who beats downtown by a gap.

The economy did hurt West Augusta and Columbia County.. The Mullings Crossing 2 development in Evans was cancelled.. The Forum Augusta development in West Augusta was strached and Highland Ridge, Carmax area, Four Points by Sheraton and Village at Riverwatch were effected by the economy..

Fort Discovery ran into financial problems due to state cuts.. The interstate traffic wouldn't have saved the center.. The latest article in the Chronicle explained how they still haven't found a permanent home in DC,,,

[Augusta Native]

Originally Posted by River_Dawg

The current location of down town is what is holding Augusta back. Time to think out of the box city leaders.

River you have had lots of creative ideas but I don't agree with this one. Downtown is not holding Augusta back, Augusta's holding downtown back. The refusal of residents to support businesses that have located there causing many local and some nation to flee to the shopping malls that were developed on the west and southsides of town. Augusta's downtown has been neglected in the past and efforts to revitalize the area are starting to show some progress. While I agree there needs to be more development along the canal, mainly along the lower levels downtown with some type of lighted pathways similar to riverwalk with the addition of residential, commercial and retail fronting the canal. If you add more residents you will add more shoppers out of convenience. New development along the Canal and Walton Way would allow developers to build new structures in an area that's not filled with historic structures such as Broad, Ellis, Green, Telfair and Reynolds.

[tckr83]

I'll go on record and say the local government is to blame for Downtown (and Augusta for that matter) not reaching it's full potential. It has been this way for a long time... nothing new. The perception the city government gives off to other potential businesses is one of a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. Companies/businesses will trickle in here and there but not to the extent that I believe they could... Go look at the Industrial Park out by Augusta Regional Airpot and go look at the one out by Graniteville. Point made.

There are rumors/stories of a few auto plants wanting to set up shop in Georgia... government leaders should be ALL over that, as just one of those plants would be huge for the city. Getting another economic pillar in Augusta besides the military, medical and SRS/Vogtle should be the next area of focus.

Improve RC schools, reduce the crime and get the local leaders to bring the city together... Augusta has been stuck in the same rut for too long and it's going to take a monumental effort for that needed change.

It's time for new ideas and even perhaps a new generation to lead Augusta to the next level... couldn't do any worse than the current crop.

[River_Dawg]

In my plan coming from North Augusta, if you take the 13th Street Bridge, you would go west on Board for Downtown Augusta and east on Board for East Augusta or Olde Town. Everything east of 13th St is East Augusta, making it a urban/suburb hybrid of Augusta. East Augusta will have the River Walk, James Brown Arena, all theaters on Broad, the Marina and all the other things that are included in today's downtown. This will close the disparity between East Augusta and West Augusta in regards to resources and amenities. East Augusta could be an regional attraction if we declare the whole community as a historic site.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by EastsideDave

Sorry to be blunt, but this is a bad idea. An impossible idea. The sheer amount of money and resources to even accomplish this bad idea would be astronomical. You'd have to move thousands of people, destroy thousands of homes, etc. It's just NOT PLAUSIBLE, sorry.

Continue to redevelop the ACTUAL downtown. The ACTUAL downtown has character, history, charm, easy access, etc. You don't need a major interstate cutting thru the middle of downtown to have it successful, just look at Columbia, Savannah, Charleston, etc.

+1

Not only do you not need a major interstate cutting through downtown to make it successful, but having one cut through downtown does much more harm than good. You don't create a successful city by catering to people driving through. That's silly.

[The Magician]

Why isn't downtown Augusta successful?

1. Consolidated Government

2. Inability to attract jobs..What if Knology, ADP or Electrolux made investments in Downtown. More people downtown, more demand for goods and services, more development.

3. Inability to attract medical district workers...Even though MD continues to grow with the expansion of MCG and other hospitals and institutions, Downtown isn't able to tap it. There are a lot of young professionals working in the MD. Unfortunately, they don't patronize Downtown Augusta nor create a demand for housing. The Watermark Condos were supposed to be the catalyst but the project is dead.