Fall 2020 - 1736 Magazine
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GRADING DOWNTOWN<br />
7.0 5.5<br />
8.0 2.0<br />
By DAMON CLINE<br />
PUBLIC SAFETY<br />
Previous score: 6.5<br />
GOVERNMENT<br />
Previous score: 5.5<br />
HOUSING<br />
Previous score: 8.0<br />
PARKING<br />
Previous score: 1.0<br />
Criminal incidents are way<br />
down in the central business<br />
district, primarily because of<br />
the COVID-19 pandemic; fewer<br />
people out and about, obviously,<br />
reduces the potential for criminal<br />
activity. The general public<br />
also should be excited by the<br />
prospect of more than five dozen<br />
new police surveillance cameras<br />
downtown if the Richmond<br />
County Sheriff’s Office’s $1.6<br />
million request makes it on the<br />
special purpose local sales tax<br />
project list in March.<br />
It’s been said the government<br />
that governs best governs the<br />
least. Though the Augusta<br />
Commission hasn't implemented<br />
any significantly positive policies<br />
affecting downtown during<br />
the past quarter, it hasn't<br />
implemented any negative<br />
ones, either. There hasn't been<br />
much to complain about besides<br />
Mayor Hardie Davis’ near-unilateral<br />
cancellation of the Ironman<br />
70.3 Augusta race – triathalon<br />
organizers had wanted to come<br />
– and too few “wow” projects on<br />
the SPLOST VIII project list.<br />
Downtown Augusta’s most<br />
reliable commercial real estate<br />
sector – residential – does not<br />
appear to be losing much steam<br />
as the national pandemic gives<br />
people across America pause<br />
about living in high-density urban<br />
areas. Working in Augusta’s<br />
favor is its continually growing<br />
labor market and the relatively<br />
affordable rents at its new<br />
“class A” luxury apartments.<br />
New apartment complexes and<br />
loft renovation projects will add<br />
dozens of market-rate residential<br />
units to downtown’s housing<br />
inventory in the coming quarters.<br />
Finally, movement in the right<br />
direction. The city and Augusta<br />
Downtown Development<br />
Authority worked together in<br />
October to convert streetside<br />
parking on Broad Street to<br />
30-minute-only spaces targeted<br />
at the growing number of restaurant<br />
patrons opting for curbside<br />
pickup. It’s the first positive<br />
movement we’ve seen to better<br />
manage downtown parking in<br />
years. And if there is one upside<br />
to the COVID-19 pandemic:<br />
downtown parking spaces are<br />
plentiful.<br />
7.5 6.5 7.5 3.0<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
Previous score: 7.5<br />
INFRASTRUCTURE<br />
Previous score: 6.5<br />
ARTS & CULTURE<br />
Previous score: 7.0<br />
COMMERCE<br />
Previous score: 3.0<br />
New construction and reinvestment<br />
keep chugging along in the<br />
urban core despite the ongoing<br />
pandemic. A spate of new<br />
multifamily apartment communities<br />
are on the drawing boards<br />
and several smaller renovation<br />
projects are underway at multiple<br />
addresses in the central business<br />
district. Leaders at Augusta<br />
University also have been hinting<br />
that new buildings are needed<br />
at the Nathan Deal Campus for<br />
Innovation to house overflow at<br />
the Georgia Cyber Center.<br />
The most visible public works<br />
project in downtown – the makeover<br />
of the Fifth Street Bridge<br />
into a pedestrian only walking/biking<br />
trail is in full swing<br />
and promises to be an attractive<br />
amenity to the Riverwalk<br />
Augusta corridor. Meanwhile,<br />
city officials spent the summer<br />
removing graffiti from public<br />
property throughout the central<br />
business district and have<br />
politely, but firmly, encouraged<br />
private property owners to do<br />
the same.<br />
It’s still a long way from becoming<br />
reality, but the newly unveiled<br />
expansion plan for James Brown<br />
Arena should excite all area residents.<br />
Architects and planners<br />
revealed a visually stunning $228<br />
million concept in September that<br />
would add seats to the arena and<br />
connect it to the adjacent Bell<br />
Auditorium. An arena makeover<br />
has been long overdue, and the<br />
increased seating capacity and<br />
state-of-the-art stage systems<br />
are sure to entice more touring<br />
acts to town.<br />
The pandemic continues to<br />
deliver a double whammy to<br />
downtown business: Not only<br />
are more downtown employees<br />
working remotely from home,<br />
the ones who are in the offices<br />
are less interested in shopping<br />
and dining at downtown businesses<br />
for fear of spreading the<br />
COVID-19 virus. Eateries have<br />
been able to recoup some of<br />
their losses by boosting takeout<br />
and delivery orders, but a protracted<br />
pandemic does not bode<br />
well for urban commerce.<br />
OVERALL SCORE:<br />
5.87<br />
Previous score: 4.48<br />
<strong>1736</strong>magazine.com | 67
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