Georgia Regents University Augusta (Summerville, Gordon: dorm, moving, stadium)

[AUGnative]

So it sounds like they are trying to consolidate everything at the midtown campus. That is smart. But I wonder what the future holds for the Summerville campus? A lot of fairly new buildings up there but it seems like they are deemphasizing that campus in favor of the midtown campus. Also, what does this mean for the proposal to use the old textile mills for GRU dorms? Is that off now?

[cnd33]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

So it sounds like they are trying to consolidate everything at the midtown campus. That is smart. But I wonder what the future holds for the Summerville campus? A lot of fairly new buildings up there but it seems like they are deemphasizing that campus in favor of the midtown campus. Also, what does this mean for the proposal to use the old textile mills for GRU dorms? Is that off now?

I don't think its very likely that they will be using the mills. They didn't seem too enthusiastic about it anyways, but now they are saying the only sites they are looking at for expansion in the foreseeable future is Kroger's parking lot and the riverfront.

[nortonguy]

The ARC has already stated the Mills Campus is moving forward with or without GRU.. The property is located next to the Augusta Canal and the GRU Gateway project. They can also sell the Broad street bus terminal and the property is located in gentrifying Harrisburg.

[PJA]

I know that there are plans to still the develop those mills but that may have been slowed down due to Splost not passing last year as there was money planned for the project included in the Splost package.

[AUGnative]

So if GRU wont be using the mills do they have someone else in mind? I could see a manufacturer possibly moving back into them because of the free electricity. The issue will be abating the environmental issues. It's usually very costly to clean up these old mills. I could see a TAD being used for environmental abatement but as I understand it, the TADs have been maxed out for the VAR so that may not be an option. To me this would have been an ideal place to build a new ballpark.. use TAD financing and create a Project Jackson type development.. if Project jackson falls thru in NA that may be an option.. but if the city has already maxed out its TADs that may not be possible

[cnd33]

Medical College of Georgia on strong footing for a stronger future | Mobile Augusta
Hopefully thr medical college will continue to move foward and advance. Last year, it's total enrollment was the 10th largest out of medical schools in the nation.

[AUGnative]

Yes the medical school part of GRU is doing very well, but remember it is a small fraction of total enrollment. Overall enrollment is falling because of the undergrad program (the old ASU portion) which accounts for the bulk of total enrollment. The article in the paper seems to indicate GRU wants to consolidate everything at the Health Sciences campus and suggests they have no immediate plans for the golf and gardens site and they may decide it does not fit into their long range goals. Perhaps the city could make a play to get that land back. It is key parcel for riverfront development and continued downtown revitalization. It would be a shame for it to sit empty like it is for decades simply because GRU has no use for it. Better for the city or some private entity to get it and do something with it now.

[TravelingMat]

I would think the overall goal of GRU should be to expand in the medical district they own virtually all the land in that area form Wrightsboro/R.A Dent to Walton way back over to the former Tubman middle the only land not owned by the school is Paine college and University hospital campuses, the Summerville campus has no room for expansion with the exception of going up which is limited by being in the flight path of Daniel field. Never made any sense why ASU built athletic facilities so far away.

[PJA]

The plan to narrow the portion of Laney Walker that passes through the GRU campus is closer to coming to fruition. Should be a nice piece of the ever expanding GRU puzzle.

Plan would narrow Laney-Walker | The Augusta Chronicle

[PJA]

Originally Posted by TravelingMat

I would think the overall goal of GRU should be to expand in the medical district they own virtually all the land in that area form Wrightsboro/R.A Dent to Walton way back over to the former Tubman middle the only land not owned by the school is Paine college and University hospital campuses, the Summerville campus has no room for expansion with the exception of going up which is limited by being in the flight path of Daniel field. Never made any sense why ASU built athletic facilities so far away.

I think was one of the closest pieces of available land the Summerville campus at the time but I hope they move the athletic facilities downtown or at least closer to the Health campus.