Beautification Edition - 1736 Magazine, Summer 2019

FACES OF DOWNTOWN
1
Joe Edge
[DAMON CLINE/THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE]
RAISING THE BAR ON LOWER BROAD
Lower Broad Street’s strip clubs
have made it the seedy side of
downtown for decades. But the
closure of several clubs in recent
years is helping the east end
shake its tawdry reputation.
So when real estate broker Joe Edge
found out the Augusta Commission was
poised to extend the life of the last two
remaining topless bars, he sprung into
action.
“Everybody I talked to seemed to be
100% against those clubs staying open,”
said Edge, the owner of Sherman &
Hemstreet Real Estate Company. “We got
on the agenda immediately so somebody
could stand up in opposition. I was the
person to do that.”
The family of James “Whitey” Lester,
owner of Discotheque Lounge and The
Joker Club-Vegas Showgirls, petitioned
the city to allow his adult entertainment
licenses to pass to his children. Lester,
who died in April, was the last remaining
holder of a grandfathered permit
allowing alcohol and nude dancing in a
business zone.
Although the permits are non-transferable,
the Lester family’s request for an
exemption made it through subcommittees
and ended up before the full commission in
February. Edge, whose office is two blocks
away from the strip clubs, rallied support
from downtown stakeholders and spoke
out during the meeting.
When it came time for a vote, commissioners
rejected the extension.
“The public outcry was so drastic that
they decided to vote unanimously,” Edge
said. “Otherwise, it would have gotten
shoveled though and nobody would have
ever known about it until it was already
approved.”
EDGE continues on 68
1736magazine.com | 13
0818_T_13_AM____.indd 13
7/29/2019 4:17:19 PM