GGHF site to be voted on today by Board of Regents (Reynolds: real estate, 2015) - Augusta area - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

nortonguy · 03-13-2012, 12:26 PM

They should give the land to GHSU with no problem, because GHSU merged with ASU following the advice of the state...

Cal Ripken, Jim Jacoby, and Dr. Azziz improving an riverfront property in downtown Augusta.. Let the residential, multi-use facility, research park, student housing, retail, restaurants, etc begin...

First On 12: GHSU could take over Augusta Golf and Gardens property

Regents request Golf Hall of Fame property today | The Augusta Chronicle

nortonguy · 03-13-2012, 03:00 PM

The chronicle recently updated the article..

University System Board of Regents request Georgia Golf Hall of Fame property be transferred to Georgia Health Sciences University | The Augusta Chronicle
The Regents’ Real Estate and Facilities Committee voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to ask the state to transfer the property to GHSU. Azziz had previously talked about using the site for a potential biotech park. He said it could still have an “innovation center,” as well as student housing and “arts initiatives that the school will be needing.

Some city leaders had envisioned a downtown baseball park there as part of a larger development, and Azziz said he could not speak to those plans. But the university’s involvement could provide a “win-win” for the university and the city, he said. “I think this is going to benefit strongly the city of Augusta, the downtown area, and will certainly benefit the new university as it develops and as it grows,” Azziz said. “This is an important step that the Regents have made both to show their support for the new university as well as show their support for our community.

amlovingit · 03-13-2012, 05:32 PM

ASU and Cal need to get together along with MCG and get a deal done. I posted this back in January. If Augusta was a player in the daft, alot of scout probably will past over Augusta. Because they feel like we don't have what it take to play with the big boys. Just like they got it wrong when they past over Jeremy Lin. He was the dark horse until it got his opportunity then he started to shine. You know when you start shining people come out of nowhere to jump on your bandwagon. Jeremy Lin remind me of Augusta we also the dark horse that everybody trying to count us out but they can't hold us down. We getting opportunity after opportunities and starting to shine like the sun that rises in the east. Its bandwagon time

tckr83 · 03-13-2012, 05:45 PM

First on 12: Azziz talks merger, GHSU plans for Golf and Gardens property

But no mention of the much-talked-about riverfront baseball stadium.
"Certainly, it is not in our plans as a university to have a ballpark," Azziz said.

If/when GHSU gets the 17 acres... there will be no downtown ballpark, at least not at that location. Back to the drawing board for Ripken and his developers. In the long run, this is the right thing to do, it's what will be best for the city and future growth. Maybe they can somehow fit a stadium on the depot property along the river, I don't think it'll fit, but who knows?

nortonguy · 03-13-2012, 07:34 PM

Keywords... ''Its not in our(aka GHSU) plans''... The initial plan before GHSU got involved was never an 'baseball stadium'', but a multi-use facility... The local media just can't get baseball out of their mind.. When it comes to people similar to Dr. Azziz you have to pay close attention....

Some city leaders had envisioned a downtown baseball park there as part of a larger development, and Azziz said he could not speak to those plans. But the university’s involvement could provide a “win-win” for the university and the city, he said. “I think this is going to benefit strongly the city of Augusta, the downtown area, and will certainly benefit the new university as it develops and as it grows,” Azziz said.

While there will not be definitive planning until the land transfer is completed, the school aims to fund any programs or building there largely through partnerships, collaboration and philanthropy, Azziz said.

tckr83 · 03-13-2012, 08:48 PM

You're reading into it what you want...

He's talking about MCG only and whatever they build on Reynolds Street being a major player for the city and the university. The only way the regents will give the land over if I understand everything I read correctly is, if it's only for MCG... meaning no baseball stadium or other developments not directly related to the university. The state will not give the land to the city for $1 for this very reason, they're still paying back on the money borrowed to build the golf hall of fame and people outside of Augusta across the state came short of revolting when they heard about the possible $1 deal... The university system is state money, a baseball stadium isn't. That's how everyone outside of Augusta is looking at it, b/c they helped pay for the property originally to begin with.

It's slim to none for a baseball complex on that property if MCG gets it, definitely would be neat, but that is what it's looking like. 17 acres isn't a lot of land for dorms/biotech park/buildings the likes of what will be built (similar to the existing campus), MCG will need all the land on the property they can get.

The physical location is in Augusta, but the state of Georgia and everyone in it paid for it. Augusta and its leaders can have all the dreams they want, but they aren't the ones pulling the strings on this one. Neither is Cal Ripken or Jim Jacoby... unless this deal falls through and whoever wants to buy the land wants to pay out the wazoo for it to cover what the state would still be owing on the property... which is millions.

tckr83 · 03-13-2012, 08:59 PM

His tone has changed noticeably on the issue and if there was any way possible to get around the regents only giving the land to MCG... Dr. Azziz is much less likely to help/partnership to build what the city would like after the deal went south on the new 15th street Wal-mart property. That's just common sense.

nortonguy · 03-13-2012, 09:12 PM

I'm being realistic about the situation at hand... Leaders from GHSU and Cal Ripken officials just met in the month of January.. There's no way GHSU can develop the entire property without any help from significant investors.. The Fatmans property is sitting empty, GHSU has big plans for the Walmart deal, and now 17 acres along the riverfront.. The university is already raising millions in order to help build the Medical Educational Commons..

''An agenda item for the regents notes that because of the type of bonds the state used to purchase the land in 1996, it cannot be sold for private development until the bonds mature in 2015. Azziz confirmed the restriction but said public-private partnerships would still be possible on the site.''

Why is he using terms such as public-private partnerships? If he actually thinks GHSU can rely simply on their alumni or state funding.. I think Dr. Azziz using phrases such as public-private partnerships, win-win for the city & university, and philanthropy is very key..

tckr83 · 03-13-2012, 09:21 PM

Provided it's not a prison, another golf hall of fame, a new fort discovery or a landfill, ANYTHING built on that property can be viewed as a win-win for the city and the state... I'm just taking him at face value in the newest story released on the issue. I think that ship has sailed...

The Magician · 03-14-2012, 06:21 PM

Kinda gotta go with tckr83. I'm hoping for the baseball stadium but don't see it happening because of A-RC government. Because the city gave the land to Wal-Mart, it is going to cause MCG to lose money on its lease agreement with Kroger. And this is at a time when they're trying to raise money. Once again, A-RC government backroom wheeling and dealing is going to hurt the city in the long run. But you never know. I don't have a crystal ball.