Beautification Edition - 1736 Magazine, Summer 2019

“CHAIN” IS NOT A DIRTY WORD: On its surface, the recent opening of a Domino’s
Pizza franchise at the corner of 13th and Reynolds is a minor business story. But when
you consider national chains have been largely absent from the central business district
for years, the arrival of America’s largest pizza company should be taken as a sign
downtown Augusta has entered a new era of prosperity. Yes, we should have a “shop
local” affinity for our home-grown and one-of-a-kind establishments, but that is no
reason to grouse about national brands showing interest in the city center. People who
would prefer to see a building remain vacant than be occupied by a job-creating, taxpaying
“chain” establishment need to reevaluate their priorities.
GHOSTS OF PERIODICALS PAST: At what point do empty publication racks become
litter? Someone at the city code-enforcement department might want to ponder that
question, because there are an awful lot of boxes strewn about downtown for tabloids,
magazines and shoppers that no longer exist. Metal and plastic boxes sit askew on sidewalks
and street corners throughout the central business district, serving as little more
than makeshift trash cans and blank canvases for bumper stickers, graffiti and handbills.
The city should send these boxes to the nearest scrap recycler – and send the wasteremoval
bill to their shameless owners.
GOING ‘ALL IN’: The progress of downtown revitalization, if left to the public sector
alone, will never move beyond the speed of government. It’s going to take privatesector
dollars to help make Augusta’s city center a place residents can be proud of.
The best way to “pitch in” is contributing to the All In Augusta campaign, an Augusta
Convention & Visitors Bureau-managed fund to seed the projects outlined in the city’s
Destination Blueprint tourism plan. Whether you’re a major downtown stakeholder
with thousands of dollars to spare, or an individual who can afford to forgo a few
Frappuccinos, there’s a place for your tax-exempt contribution at www.visitaugusta.
STILL WAITING...: Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis appears to have had a change of
heart regarding a new James Brown Arena – he now supports expanding the facility at
its existing downtown location. But it seems the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum
Authority members he subtly influenced in 2017 to select a south Augusta site remain
frozen in time. The latest wrinkle in the impasse centers on a piece of MCG Foundationowned
property at the corner of 15th Street and John C. Calhoun Expressway – a site
that has excellent traffic access but is still too far-removed from the Bell Auditorium and
downtown’s burgeoning arts and entertainment district. The price tag for a new venue
currently hovers around $110 million. How much will it cost by the time the powers-thatbe
realize the arena’s best location is its current one?
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