Delays for Augusta Innovation Zone expected for old Woolworth building (Gordon: lease, live)

[Airforceguy]

Their website lays out their plan to renovate the old Woolworth building at the corner of 8th and Broad Street in Downtown Augusta. Their goal is to turn the spot into a hub for millennials. They described turning the bottom floor into a collaborative workspace and incubator for start-ups. With the top floor, they wanted to create a swanky restaurant and bar.

Noura Gordon was born and raised in downtown Augusta. “I mean all this was just poppin!” She says as she points to Broad Street with a big smile on her face. Gordon has memories of going to the old Woolworth building as a kid.

“After all these years, I remember going to Woolworth, sitting in there, having a slushy, having some of their great fried chicken. The people in there were amazing!” Gordon reminisces.

She still lives and works downtown at Pyramid Music. She is also a DJ and often spins at downtown restaurant Nacho Mamas. She is the daughter of Augusta icon, Flash Gordon, so music and Augusta history undoubtedly course through her veins.

With strong certainty in her voice, Gordon says she would go to the kind of place the Augusta Innovation Zone founders describe.

“Oh definitely,” Gordon nods. “Augusta needs something like that and it would probably bring even more potential people that want to get businesses and open up stuff down here.”

The Augusta Innovation Zone was the joint brain-child of 6 people—John Cates, Tommy Wafford, Deke Copenhaver, Tom Patterson, George Claussen and Virginia Claussen.

Their 2017-style game plan has proven difficult for the 72-year-old building says co-founder and former Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver.

“We’re still meeting with the architects and everything, trying to develop a plan that’s cost effective to bring the building forward,” Copenhaver describes. “Things have slowed down a little bit, but we are still focused on doing the Augusta Innovation zone.”

Delays for Augusta Innovation Zone expected for old Woolworth building | WJBF-TV

[Erclvrb18]

I’m totally surprised... this is totally Augusta...

[AUGnative]

Do they even own or have a lease on the building? They didn't last time I checked. It is still listed as "available"