Suggestions for Downtown Development Corp.? (section 8, apartments, homes)

[CaptainAwesome]

A friend had asked me if I had any suggestions for the Downtown Development corporation with whom he will meet with after this weekend.

I want to read some of your ideas so I have more to pass on.

Thanks guys.

[Augustabuckeye]

Provide help to locate a couple restraurants/bars on the Riverwalk. Could you imagine sitting out on a deck for dinner and looking up and down the river? Provide tax incentives for retail shops on Broad St. Push to have cafes, bars, etc. facing out onto the Augusta Commons. Find a way to REALLY link Broad to the Riverwalk...

We can always dream...

[DisgustaTruth]

Remove portions of the levee downtown! The fact that north Augusta has all of this develepment occurring right up to the river is proof that the levee is not needed anymore. Tearing downt the dowtown portion of the levee would give Augusta a true riverfront where you could have riverside cafes and bars... but that big mound of dirt blocks the views. Unfortunately leadershipi n Augusta has not been unified on this front. It should be a top priority for anyone concerned about the revitalization of downtown Augusta.

[lolo2]

Go along with the mayor for the new baseball facility downtown. That facility would have resturants, cafes, and stores along side of it. Focus hard on redeveloping harrisburg and older homes near downtown. Don't build a trolley save that money for some type of rail. Build a water park please. Nobody in augusta would be against that. And make more streets look like 10th street downtown. Plant more flowers, nice landscaping, a few more bigger fountains. Or one large one in the middle of broad or near the riverwalk. Where alot of kids can play under the fountain. Add alot more lighting all over the downtown area. Make it light up from as far away as you can. Try to get some type of digital images on a billboard or sign in the air. That says what events are happening in augusta and coming up. The time, the weather, traffic conditions, and other things. Downtown is headed in the right direction. But augusta should be a major city already. Broad street has like the 2nd widest streets in the united states.

[CaptainAwesome]

Those are all good ideas. I liked the rail idea because it would connect Broad Street with the medical district.

One big thing I think would help would be bike lanes, especially on Broad and 15th street. We have a lot of 4 lane roads downtown and don't need them all. If people saw biking as viable, more people would opt to live closer to work in order to not drive. That would help Harrisburg and the area round Eve Street. It would also hopefully help our air quality and reduce congestion and slow down traffic (less aggressive driving).

[DisgustaTruth]

I think the trolley is a great idea, especially if it could be powered by the canal.. I mean Augusta would get lots of good PR over that. The problem with downtown is that it is essentially a mile long strip.. a trolley would help move people from one end to another and may help the lower blocks of Broad street develop like the 1200 and 1100 blocks have.
Also if they could redesign the parking pits in the middle of the street would help too.. those things are dangerous.. and at night don't feel safe.. plus add more lighting downtown and more police patrols.
And something must be done with the Richmond Summit Section 8 apartments.. that place is an eyesore and a magnet for riff raff.. and it really stymies any potential for development along that block of Broad Street.

[DisgustaTruth]

Originally Posted by CaptainAwesome

Those are all good ideas. I liked the rail idea because it would connect Broad Street with the medical district.

One big thing I think would help would be bike lanes, especially on Broad and 15th street. We have a lot of 4 lane roads downtown and don't need them all. If people saw biking as viable, more people would opt to live closer to work in order to not drive. That would help Harrisburg and the area round Eve Street. It would also hopefully help our air quality and reduce congestion and slow down traffic (less aggressive driving).

Augusta is really behind the curve on bike lanes.

[CaptainAwesome]

Originally Posted by DisgustaTruth

Augusta is really behind the curve on bike lanes.

Yeah, that's true, but strangely there is a very strong biking community here. Most of these bikers are racing bikers and ride in big packs on the weekends or after work. There are lots of mountain bikers too. I just think people should look at commuting more.

[DisgustaTruth]

It would be nice if Augusta leaders turned some of the abandoned railroad tracks into bike paths.. That's how the north Augusta greenway was built. It would be great to have something like the Silver Comet Trail. In addition to bike lanes and trails, Augusta needs a lot more sidewalks.

[CaptainAwesome]

I didn't realize that that was what they were! Does Augusta still have abandoned railroad tracks or beds? Or are you saying when they abandon and csx finds builds a route around Augusta?