Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: Augusta, GA ''The fastest rising city in the southeast''
7,508 posts, read 15,110,286 times
Reputation: 955
Advertisements
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Magician
As WJBF News Channel 6 first reported, the city of Augusta is trying to sell Georgia Regents University on using two old mills as possible dorms and classrooms. In order for the move to take place, the city of Augusta will need to pony up $400,000 on a study to make sure the plans are feasible with the University and University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
In his address, the GRU President showed interest in the city's mill offer but stopped short of making a hard core commitment on the properties pending the Board of Regents approval of the plans (WJBF).
Lauren: "You just called the mills campuses a game changer. What will it take for the university to commit to those campuses?"
Azziz: "Well, it has a lot to do with A) the finances and the financial structure. The university does not have the resources to make that happen unless the city itself commits to make that happen."
The city was recently asked for $400,000 to continue research on what it'll take to develop the mills.
"I'm strongly in favor of doing that," said mayor Deke Copenhaver. "I think anytime you invest in higher education, it's a good thing. We're looking at the potential avenues to go about funding that."
But Azziz says GRU doesn't have the money to pitch in. Lauren: "Will the university contribute to that research?" Azziz: "No, at this point we will not. This is a city effort. We will be as helpful as we can be. But this is not our effort at this point. The city is doing this. We respect that (WAGT)."
Nort, Augusta has to pay 400,000 and pretty much pay all the monies to get the Mills prepped for GRU because GRU HAS NO MONEY FOR EXPANSION. So Augustans are gonna foot the bill for a U that their kids probably won't be able to get into? Also, who is going to pay to maintain these facilities, Augustans? Now, based on Augusta's track record I'd like to say this thing is dead. Then again, the powers that be pulled some Hocus Pocus and got the TEE done. C'mon GRU enrollment is probably going to decrease. We're talking about hudreds of thousands, possibly millions of dollars for expansion campuses. The bulk of students wouldn't even be attending classes at these campuses. Lastly, even if it is feasible it still may not be approved. So how do you explain to Augustans that you spent half a million on a pointless study. That's right, Deke the puppet is on his way out. He doesn't care. Just give me the damn money. Jesus, I want to know how much Augusta has spent on studies. It is getting retarted to the max. Why can't there be a study on how much Augusta spends on studies. Not only that, but the money spent on studies covering the same damn parts of town. The inept manner in which politicians operate in Augusta is majestic. More so than a Unicorn. When I think about Augusta politics, I want to club a motherless, baby seal then eat it. It drives me absolutely mad.
I think you're getting caught up in the 'Mills' part(Sibley and King) of the development, and forgetting the Cultural/Mills campuses includes the new performing arts center, renovated miller theater, civic park, Artspace, upgraded imperial theater, community resource center, etc. Why would anybody expect GRU to have enough money to fund everything by themselves?
5 important facts.
1. The city only has to pay $400k of the $1.5 million for the initial funding. The private sector is paying for the rest, and this clearly shows the amount of statewide/local support.
2. The Board of Regents hired a consultant in early May to specifically go over the Mills/Cultural campuses.
3. The proposal wouldn't have even made it this far unless Dr. Azziz/Board of Regents were interested.
4. The mayor had already met with Dr. Azziz, Governor, Board of Regents, and Chancellor multiple times before the public knew.
5. Numerous state/local officials had already toured the mills before the public announcement.
The MCG foundation owns the Kroger shopping center, multiple parcels in Harrisburg, and the city let GRU in on the 25 acre development coming to the Medical District/Harrisburg. The two mills, and the Broad street transfer station are located right next to these properties.
GRU doesn't have any problem funding the current facilities, and I don't see why anything built in the future would be different. Their building a $76 million Medical Commons, and the $200 million cancer center is on the way.
I don't think downtown needs tourist attractions nor 10000 residents for it to make a comeback. I asked whether you lived in Augusta because, I know you don't know that not many people frequent downtown. What most of us want on this board is something downtown that would generate foot traffic and everything else should follow. There need to be demand for services. If there isn't one no one is going to build anything. In Augusta, Let's build it and they'll come doesn't work. ATL, CLT and maybe some 2tier cities can get away with it, but not here in Augusta. The people of Augusta are fickle when it comes to things. Why that is, I don't know. Second, attractions aren't a bad thing. They definitely don't hurt. Many of us see attractions as a positive because many of us travel to attractions in other cities. Many Augustans travel to ATL for World of Coke, Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, MLB, NFL, NBA, etc.. Anybody in their right mind knows those things are positives. Those things drive foot traffic. A lot of us go to Columbia for Riverbanks Zoo, USC, etc. Those things drive foot traffic. The intent of the GGHoF was to drive foot traffic. The mayor wanted to build a ballpark downtown in hopes of spurring revitalization. There has to be a reason for people to go downtown and for Augusta a botanical garden ain't it. It seems like so long ago, that the talk was how to keep Augustan's downtown after concerts, hockey games, arena football games, etc.
I'm well aware of the fact that downtown Augusta isn't really a destination unless something special is going on, but at the same time, Augusta is not this huge anomaly that you're making it out to be; people there are no different than in other cities. "Build it and they'll come" works ANYWHERE as long the right thing is built is built the right way and in the right location. Downtown Augusta has its issues for sure, but it's nowhere near as depressed as downtown Detroit--yet Detroit has managed to build an awesome park, Campus Martius, that attracts people from all over the region and has been an astounding success. For a closer example in a neighboring state, Birmingham--a city with some notable assets but with a declining city population and not exactly known for being progressive--has also managed to build a successful, award-winning urban park which has also become a very popular regional attraction. A new ballpark for its minor league team also recently debuted downtown with its largest attendance to date.
The principles of solid urban planning are universal and work wherever they are correctly implemented. Augusta is no exception. I firmly believe that with the right interactive design, a FREE park/gardens would be a significant draw for downtown Augusta and could help to spur development within the vicinity. Again, this model is time-tested and has been proved to work in cities all across the country and around the world. Your city isn't as hopeless as you're making it out to be and has more to work with than what many know or acknowledge.
What Washington rd and wrightboro rd have that downtown don't have access to in arm reach. Shopping ,activities, dining and nice hotels. I always wish augusta built something like atlantic station or boardway at beach downtown in the golf and garden old location. I wish they will take money to redo all the building on board street that is in bad need for an make over. if a olive garden want to locate downtown the city should help remodel the building.
What Washington rd and wrightboro rd have that downtown don't have access to in arm reach. Shopping ,activities, dining and nice hotels. I always wish augusta built something like atlantic station or boardway at beach downtown in the golf and garden old location. I wish they will take money to redo all the building on board street that is in bad need for an make over. if a olive garden want to locate downtown the city should help remodel the building.
And a 6 to 8 lane interstate highway. Infrastructure such as interstates literally bring traffic to the downtown areas. This is a quality Augusta simply lacks, I mean even Columbia has I-126 downtown. In a city such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh and ect you often can not avoid traveling downtown, in Augusta you have to want to go downtown and that is the issue.
And a 6 to 8 lane interstate highway. Infrastructure such as interstates literally bring traffic to the downtown areas. This is a quality Augusta simply lacks, I mean even Columbia has I-126 downtown. In a city such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh and ect you often can not avoid traveling downtown, in Augusta you have to want to go downtown and that is the issue.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. If I could rep you some more I would.
And a 6 to 8 lane interstate highway. Infrastructure such as interstates literally bring traffic to the downtown areas. This is a quality Augusta simply lacks, I mean even Columbia has I-126 downtown. In a city such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh and ect you often can not avoid traveling downtown, in Augusta you have to want to go downtown and that is the issue.
Perhaps a limited access spur that leads into downtown might be helpful (and Columbia has two: I-126 and SC 277), but not a highway that goes through downtown.
However, the lack of one isn't necessarily an issue. Greensboro, NC has an extensive freeway system but none of the highways go through downtown, neither does it have a spur that dumps you directly into downtown (see map here). Yet its downtown is pretty active, particularly along the main drag, Elm Street, especially at night. What has also contributed to continued pedestrian activity is the minor league ballpark and Center City Park which were completed a few years ago:
Perhaps a limited access spur that leads into downtown might be helpful (and Columbia has two: I-126 and SC 277), but not a highway that goes through downtown.
However, the lack of one isn't necessarily an issue. Greensboro, NC has an extensive freeway system but none of the highways go through downtown, neither does it have a spur that dumps you directly into downtown (see map here). Yet its downtown is pretty active, particularly along the main drag, Elm Street, especially at night. What has also contributed to continued pedestrian activity is the minor league ballpark and Center City Park which were completed a few years ago:
See any common themes here?
Are you really comparing downtown Greensboro to Augusta? Molly popping latelty?
Are you really comparing downtown Greensboro to Augusta? Molly popping latelty?
Uhhh, actually I am. This tells me that you've probably never even been to downtown Greensboro, yet somehow insinuate that I'm in an altered state of mind for doing so. Downtown Augusta actually has a couple of advantages over downtown Greensboro: it's more historic, more extensive, has more locally-based retail, it's along a river, Broad Street is longer than Elm Street, it has a downtown convention center, Augusta's downtown Marriott has more rooms than Greensboro's, etc. Downtown Greensboro probably only has one structural advantage over downtown Augusta, and that's the fact that it's flanked by two universities, NC A&T and UNC-Greensboro--which it has leveraged to its advantage. Greensboro's major venues are all outside downtown, including NC's largest arena and the Sheraton hotel/Koury convention center, although there are plans to construct a new performing arts venue downtown. They are both similar in that activity is largely confined to the main streets of downtown, but Augusta does have the riverwalk which shifts some activity towards that way. Also, historically Black neighborhoods near the core of both cities have been revitalized/are in the process of revitalization. The fact of the matter is that Greensboro, like some other cities, has accomplished more with less, so there's no reason why Augusta can't make significant strides given all that it has to work with. Furthermore, why do you act like constructing a signature urban park and a ballpark, two proven catalysts for downtown revitalization, are some monumental tasks that can only be accomplished by metro areas of millions of people?
I'm really beginning to think that some of you all have very little experience with the downtowns of other cities outside of Georgia and SC; thus you think that Augusta can't reach its fullest potential because it lacks specific things that those cities do. Some of you also don't appreciate what you already have because you're too busy lamenting what you lack; thus you fail to realize how the existing advantages can play a significant role in getting downtown to the next level.
Ok I'll chime in with a serious post. It's simple Augusta needs businesses. Yes there are stores and rssturants but we need chains downtown that give augustans reasons to go. For example Texas Roadhouse should have located on broad, place a Cheesecake Factory or American deli downtown and allow for other small businesses, nightclubs etc to feed off of that. I think the river walk is fine the way it is, it is a very romantic place to go but a million cameras will take away from that. As a result cameras should only be placed at the entrances to the river walk while RC officers conduct physical patrols at night. Another thing is the fact that we have GRU and the DT property that should be developed, bigger isn't always better I agree but in this case bigger needs to happen in order to get the USC UGA GSU (ga southern that is) type feel. For those if you that know me well know that I'm here in Atlanta quite often and I agree we don't need a highway running through dt because It would limit potential expansion for dt. Honestly, and this is only a personal opinion but I feel Augusta needs to fix its governing body 1st before it tries to do anything.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Also, who is going to pay to maintain these facilities, Augustans? Now, based on Augusta's track record I'd like to say this thing is dead. Then again, the powers that be pulled some Hocus Pocus and got the TEE done. C'mon GRU enrollment is probably going to decrease. We're talking about hudreds of thousands, possibly millions of dollars for expansion campuses. The bulk of students wouldn't even be attending classes at these campuses. Lastly, even if it is feasible it still may not be approved. So how do you explain to Augustans that you spent half a million on a pointless study. That's right, Deke the puppet is on his way out. He doesn't care. Just give me the damn money. Jesus, I want to know how much Augusta has spent on studies. It is getting retarted to the max. Why can't there be a study on how much Augusta spends on studies. Not only that, but the money spent on studies covering the same damn parts of town. The inept manner in which politicians operate in Augusta is majestic. More so than a Unicorn. When I think about Augusta politics, I want to club a motherless, baby seal then eat it. It drives me absolutely mad.
