Augusta ?'s about revitalization (Portland, Hallowell: real estate market, apartment, house)

[melbanie]

So, I was just wondering if anyone has the scoop on the efforts of downtown Augusta's revitalization. I am not in the loop of what is really going on there. I feel like the city has so much potential. I looked at the city from across the river and was impressed with visions of what it could be. Shouldn't a state capital city be a gem in the state? Do you see investors coming in and turning around the area, bringing some economic activity and jobs? Does anyone know about the real estate market there? Neighboring Hallowell is cute and quirky, but what about Augusta? I am not talking total gentrification, like in some areas of Portland. Augusta needs to be cleaned up a little and have a sense of pride, you know? Again, I haven't spent a lot of time in Augusta. I am going on my first few impressions. Any info., insite, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

[maineguy8888]

It's known as Disgusta for a reason......

[mainebrokerman]

i lived in augusta 2 times in my life..
my son went up thru the public school system (hes now a pharmacist)

augusta is an old mill town,,,thats been transforming ..

has some very nice neighborhoods and has some poorer areas ..

the old main street has a lot of history,,, it is revitalizing the old theatre and some other historical buildings

that old mainstreet use to be the heart-beat of the city ...right adjacent to the kennebec river..
then the malls on western avenue were built...and much commerce went from main street to the malls..... and two other "marketplaces" have been built one with home depot/kohl's/ and many many other places...

anyways.....augusta is a busy busy town that thousands and thousands come to work for the state and federal government

augusta has pretty high taxes......i wouldnt move there i would live in one of the many surrounding towns....lie manchester, winthrop, chelsea, vassalboro, gardiner, hallowell,



like most places.....its what you make of it,,,, but augusta is one hour from the coast and one hour from the mountains and about one hour from bangor and an hour from portland...


i chose a golf course iin augusta as opposed to around where i live (not the country club) when my son was young when had plenty of places to go ...like the ymca, plenty of restaurants, i did like the school system with all the sports


most of the old mills are gone......thousands and thousands of french canadians came down from canada to work a the mills a 100 yrs ago...ust like lewiston.... augusta gets a bad rap like maineguy said...disgusta...because of all the apartment buildings on sand hill- but they had many hard working proud canadians that established their families ...
augusta use to stink...... chemicals use to drain directly in the river.....now that no longer happens...for 40 yrs.....so the river is much much cleaner than it use to be with no smell...



i do believe their is more of a LOCAL movement with many towns,,,,not everyone likes going to walmart...
so the old main streets are coming back.....the town/cities are giving incentives for businesses ....to come back to mainstreets.


look at the mainstreet in hallowell......its thrivings with new businesses....and gardiner is over a 90% occupancy rate on their old mainstreet.... i have a good friend who us opened his own small business in gardiner mainstreet..... when he use to swear he'd never do....and hes doing well
i do believe in mainstreet revitalizations

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by melbanie

So, I was just wondering if anyone has the scoop on the efforts of downtown Augusta's revitalization.

I see a lot of towns that have lost economic energy. I have heard many theories on ways to make downtowns into thriving economies.

As technology changes, brick&mortar storefronts are being replaced with online retailers. I am not convinced that there is a way to bring life back to these old towns.

... Shouldn't a state capital city be a gem in the state?

Why?

State capitals are rarely the economic hub or tourist attractions of any state. They serve as the bureaucracy hub.

It is a location to house all of the state's dozens of divisions, departments, and offices. It is where the officials, officeholders, administrators, public servants, civil servants, and functionaries, concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs have their offices.

To that purpose Augusta needs a lot of office buildings and twice as many parking lots. I am not sure that Augusta needs anything else.

... Do you see investors coming in and turning around the area, bringing some economic activity and jobs?

LOL

No I do not see that. Not at all. That is a funny idea though.

... Does anyone know about the real estate market there?

Did you want to buy a building there?

... Neighboring Hallowell is cute and quirky, but what about Augusta?

Do you want more quirkiness?

... I am not talking total gentrification, like in some areas of Portland. Augusta needs to be cleaned up a little and have a sense of pride, you know?

No. I don't know.

Augusta is the admin center of Maine. It is NOT the economic center. It is not the healthcare center. It is a place for state level ‎bureaucracy [the bane of all that is decent, the adversary of all businessmen and the common citizen alike]. It is the workplace of bureaucrats. It is where the administration of our bureaucracy is physically housed. Bless their hearts and may God forgive them.

... Again, I haven't spent a lot of time in Augusta. I am going on my first few impressions. Any info., insite, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

I try my best to avoid Augusts.

Though I have gone there a few times to attend protests and events.

[maineguy8888]

Honestly, if I could, I would leave Fort Western where it is, but tow the rest of Augusta out to sea and sink it.

[Fern435]

If you do a search on the Kennebec Journal website, you probably can find an article about the business plans along the riverfront.

In my opinion, Augusta is really not that bad. I was in Augusta last week to do a few errands and it was fine. Looking forward to trying the Fat Cats Cafe south of the Capitol.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Fern435

If you do a search on the Kennebec Journal website, you probably can find an article about the business plans along the riverfront.

In my opinion, Augusta is really not that bad. I was in Augusta last week to do a few errands and it was fine. Looking forward to trying the Fat Cats Cafe south of the Capitol.

A very appropriate name for the cafe, given its location......

[bachslunch]

Re this: "State capitals are rarely the economic hub or tourist attractions of any state." Definitely wouldn't say "rarely." Examples that could be considered one, the other, or both of their respective states would include Boston, Atlanta, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Honolulu, Nashville, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, Little Rock, Providence, Hartford, Oklahoma City, Columbia, Jackson, and Cheyenne. That's better than one-third.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by bachslunch

Re this: "State capitals are rarely the economic hub or tourist attractions of any state." Definitely wouldn't say "rarely." Examples that could be considered one, the other, or both of their respective states would include Boston, Atlanta, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Honolulu, Nashville, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, Little Rock, Providence, Hartford, Oklahoma City, Columbia, Jackson, and Cheyenne. That's better than one-third.

augusta has attractions....like the state museum,,,the largest of its kind in the state

the link below will show many things to do in augusta


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...sta_Maine.html


see, ive lived in this area a good part of my life.....and many many things are in surrounding towns....
just a 3 minute drive from augusta you can jump off a 30 or 60 ft cliff in a granite quarry to go swimming
(this was our favorite thing to do as young adults

you can fish and catch 25lb stripers in augusta , you can launch a boat in augusta and go to the ocean and go anywhere....



there's just so much ......

dont let the naysayers discourage you

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by bachslunch

Re this: "State capitals are rarely the economic hub or tourist attractions of any state." Definitely wouldn't say "rarely." Examples that could be considered one, the other, or both of their respective states would include Boston, Atlanta, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Honolulu, Nashville, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, Little Rock, Providence, Hartford, Oklahoma City, Columbia, Jackson, and Cheyenne. That's better than one-third.

Among those states the only one that I have spent a lot of time in has been Connecticut. Hartford is not a tourist attraction, nor is it the economic hub of Connecticut.

Perhaps 'rarely' is too strong a term.

I was thinking of my native state which is California. Then places like Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.