New Downtown and inner-city Augusta/ North Augusta going to another level (Garden City: new construction) (Commerce: rentals, hotels)

[amlovingit]

Originally Posted by amlovingit

More growth for downtown Augusta? Tech-savvy co-working space opens doors


"I think what this projects going to do is gonna give this corner a 24/7 feel because you're going to be able to access the space 24 hours a day," Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Margaret Woodard said.

Woodard said they like to call the growth on Greene, Reynolds, and other areas downtown "connecting the dots."

"It even goes further over to Telfair Street, there's construction now on the corner of 12th and 11th on Telfair so we are seeing the effects go towards Walton Way," said Woodard.

https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Co...ml?jwsource=cl

[Airforceguy]

A new business coming to downtown Augusta will knock you off your feet. Vance's Bakery Bar opens this spring at 123 James Brown Boulevard.

The boozy bar will feature alcohol-infused desserts as well as regular cocktails. That's right - you can get whiskey in a glass or a cupcake!

“We just knew we wanted to do something different,” said owner Troy Adamo, who is opening the bar with his wife, Amy. “There really is nowhere else like it.”

Some of the sweet treats to be featured are:


Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies, infused with Second City Bourbon

Mill Town Margarita Cupcake, infused with Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila and Grand Marnier orange liqueur

Vance’s Triple B (Bacon Beer Bars), infused with Savannah River Brewing Co. Beer

Garden City Fireball Mini Cheesecakes, infused with Fireball Whiskey (3 oz portions)

“We like to say that at Vance’s, the proof is in the sweets,” Amy Adamo said. “That lets people know that we infuse our desserts with alcohol. Of course, it also tells people that after one bite, you will have proof that Vance’s is the best.”

https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Dr...506432261.html

[amlovingit]

How do you all feels about a Casino coming to Downtown Augusta?

https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Ge...506473431.html

[Airforceguy]

The Augusta Commission had unannounced meeting regarding the setbacks at the Augusta Commons. Also within the article the owner of Sprint Foods said the Metro Market store could reopen.

The unannounced gathering of a quorum of commissioners at the common was an exception to the Georgia Open and Public Meetings Act, Georgia Press Association attorney David Hudson said. Meetings to inspect and discuss city facilities are not subject to the open meetings law, so long as the discussion involves the facility where the meeting is held, he said.
The group had gathered to discuss the amount of space businesses immediately west need when large events are held at the common.
Sprint Food Stores owner Andy Jones said the Metro Market, which closed last year but could reopen, told the group that large events had created challenges for the store, which has a door opening onto the common that was sometimes blocked during large events.
During the discussion, Commissioner Sammie Sias polled the group about how much space the businesses needed between themselves and the events. Commissioner Ben Hasan said they needed six feet. Commissioner Dennis Williams said he preferred 10 feet.

https://www.augustachronicle.com/new...common-setback

[cst8670]

Originally Posted by amlovingit

How do you all feels about a Casino coming to Downtown Augusta?

https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Ge...506473431.html

Completely indifferent as only a fool would try to run one in Augusta.

[CanukInAugusta]

Originally Posted by amlovingit

https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Co...ml?jwsource=cl

What are those two buildings that are going up on Telfair going to be?

[tckr83]

I don’t know what’s going there but it sounds like it’s the old Davidson school property that was torn down, a sizeable space.

[CanukInAugusta]

Originally Posted by tckr83

I don’t know what’s going there but it sounds like it’s the old Davidson school property that was torn down, a sizeable space.

Yes, I drove past it today. It IS a large space.

[amlovingit]

Barbecue Shop Riverside Smoke Opens Downtown


Barbecue shop Riverside Smoke has opened at the corner of 10th and Ellis streets. The restaurant planned a soft opening Wednesday and Thursday nights and will open for normal hours beginning Friday.

Riverside Smoke is the first full restaurant venture from Scott Gibbs and John Johnson, who founded the North Augusta-based food truck of the same name.

The duo has been honing their craft and serving it to Georgians since 2012, when they competed in Evans’ Banjo-B-Que and found enough success to feel confident buying a food trailer.

Six years later, they set out to create a dynamic local barbecue joint with a “Nashville flair” in the center of downtown.

“We’re trying to bring good, quality brisket to Augusta on a consistent basis,” Gibbs said. “And really, more important than anything, the fellowship. Barbecue’s a product that people enjoy together.”

The new restaurant seats around 75 people and has a fast-casual option for easy pick-up. The back of the restaurant has a full-service bar and an open room designed for live music and spacious seating.

While brisket and pork are Riverside Smoke’s specialty, they”ll serve a variety of other dishes influenced by Johnson’s and Gibbs’ Georgia-Carolina upbringing.

“We’re really proud of the place, excited to show everybody what we’ve been up to for the last six months,” Gibbs said.

Riverside Smoke is located at 302 10th Street.

[Airforceguy]

With his handlebar mustache and wearing a bowler hat, silk ascot and day coat, Excho could have easily been plucked from P.T. Barnum’s American Museum in the 1840s and placed into 21st century downtown Augusta.

And that’s exactly the feeling Excho would like for people to have. The Augusta transplant plans to turn a former auto parts store on Sixth Street into a museum like the one Barnum created. It will be called Pexcho’s American Dime Museum.

Barnum started a trend with his curiosities and freakshows, and others followed suit.

There weren’t a lot of entertainment options for the lower and middle classes in the 1800s, explained Excho. Plus people had never seen anything like the exhibits Barnum had. They didn’t know if they were real or not.

Excho became fascinated in the genre of the dime museum while growing up in Buffalo, N.Y.

“I volunteered at the museum,” he said.

He didn’t mind volunteering because he liked seeing the various items it held.

Shrunken heads, lobster boys, manfish and unicorn skulls are some of the items that Excho has seen and currently has in his personal collection.


A decade ago, Excho had a dime museum in Baton Rouge, La., but his wife decided to join the Army. They packed up all his items and put them into storage. When his wife’s service was done, they looked for a community where she could not only do her Army job as a civilian, but he could reopen the museum, he said.

“We were in downtown (Augusta) on a Tuesday, and people were walking in the rain,” he said.


To him that was a sign that Augusta’s downtown was a happening place, and he needed to locate his museum there, he said. He also liked the history of the downtown area. He said his museum needed to be in an older building – a strip mall in Martinez wouldn’t provide the same ambiance.

Since July, Excho has been cleaning up the shop and unpacking the many curiosities he owns as well as an extensive collection of pieces from carnivals.

The father of three, Excho intends to keep the space family friendly. There won’t be any gory items, and don’t expect gruesome displays on serial killers, he said.

Excho has big plans for the space. He first wants to open with a coffee shop and art gallery in the front of the building. While he doesn’t have a set date yet, he’s hoping in the next couple of months. He plans to have different art exhibitions each month.

The space in the back of the building will be transformed into the museum. Cases are already in place as are a sampling of items. He’s got another 2,000 square feet on the other side of a wall that he can expand into. He has enough items to rotate what’s on display.


Excho has big plans as he continues. He wants to eventually open a voodoo-themed restaurant serving Cajun/Creole and Colombian food.

https://www.augustachronicle.com/new...s-sixth-street