Education Edition - 1736 Magazine, Fall 2019

HITS & MISSES
MORE GREENSPACE: An oft-overlooked component of the future Depot at the
Riverfront mixed-use development is the nearly 2-acre greenbelt that will separate
the historic depot building from the multistory apartment and retail complex along
the riverfront. Officials with the development company say they plan to make the
space a public greenbelt, complete with year-round programming, such as outdoor
movie nights, cultural events and staging areas for nonprofit organizations. Locals
looking for a grassy spot to”hang out” along the riverfront will find what they’ve
been seeking.
THE METER IS RUNNING: Things may have changed by the time this edition is
out, but as of press time, there is still no downtown parking plan to speak of. Which
is somewhat perplexing, given that lack of parking is – at the very least – in the
top three barriers to economic development in the city’s central business district.
There clearly needs to be a method for enforcing “turnover” in the limited number
of surface spots along Broad Street and other major downtown arteries, but there
also is a need for an additional parking deck or two in the central business district
to accommodate future office workers and residents. How can the city work on the
big tasks if it can’t complete the little ones?
“PTVS” DOWNTOWN: Personal transportation vehicles, or PTVs (better known
to the general public as “golf cars”), should be a common site in downtown
Augusta. After all, the Augusta-metro area produces nearly 90% of the world’s
vehicles. Kudos to the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau for working with city
officials on an ordinance permitting their use downtown. Although the vehicles
have yet to become a downtown staple – the CVB has yet to contract with a PTVbased
tour company – there could come a day in the near future when downtown
residents and major downtown employers use the smaller vehicles to get around in
the defined boundaries of the central business district. That could alleviate downtown’s
parking problem and reduce automobile emissions.
SLOW ON THE SAVANNAH: It’s one thing for the Army Corps of Engineers to
recommend an environmental mitigation plan for the Savannah River that robs
Augusta of its beloved river “pool,” it’s another to keep locals in suspense for
months to reach a final decision. The Corps’ plan to deal with the environmental
impact of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam – tearing it down and replacing it
with a rock pile that lowers the river levels in downtown Augusta – is simply unpalatable
to metro Augusta. Prolonging the decision process and the metro area’s
ability to fight it – most likely through a federal lawsuit – doesn’t do either side any
good. We’d like to avoid a fight, but if one is unavoidable, we’d prefer to get it over
with sooner than later.
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