Augusta Tomorrow, Inc

Website Links

Description

Augusta Tomorrow began out of concern for a dying downtown and the negative economic results. Like many cities across the country, the economic lifeblood largely in the form of retail and professional services was moving to the suburbs. Growth of the suburbs post World War II took the downtowns and recast them in the form of suburban malls where the markets had moved. During the fall of 1978 Augusta Mall and Regency Mall opened a week apart of each other and enticed many of the merchants in the central business district to relocate. Nearly two million square feet of retail space from the downtown area relocated and to the malls. Downtown Augusta was left with the debilitating effects of losing so much retail. Boarded-up storefronts and vacant buildings soon dominated what had been a bustling regional downtown shopping area. Hugh Connolly, president of Sherman & Hemstreet Realtors and Monty Osteen, president of Bankers First (formerly First Federal & Loan Association), asked whether a city needed a traditional downtown. From conversations with urban experts and economists throughout the country, it became clear that it was critical to the well being of the City to have an economically vibrant downtown. George M. Brady, Jr., president, National Corporation for Housing Partnerships, suggested a meeting to Connolly and Osteen with Leo Molinero, president of American City Corporation of Columbia, Maryland and a subsidiary of The Rouse Company to discuss Augusta's potential. A healthy city center was vital to the economy of the region.Downtown revitalization had become a major issue in the mayoral campaign of the late 1970s; at least 3 candidates had revitalization planks in their platforms including Ed McIntyre. Connolly and Osteen enlisted the support of local business leadership and the newly elected Mayor, Edward M. McIntyre, to explore possible ways to create revitalization pathways. Molinero recommended creation of a public/private partnership between city government and private business as the most effective form to achieve success. It would take private enterprise and know-how and municipal government backing to put together an effective program of this magnitude. 1/82 - Augusta Tomorrow was formed with an initial board of eleven members. 3/22/82 - the City of Augusta together with Augusta Tomorrow, Incorporated commissioned the American City Corporation to conduct a six-month study of the entire downtown area and the riverfront and produce a viable plan for its revitalization. The $120,000 fee was paid 1/2 by the City of Augusta and 1/2 by the Augusta Tomorrow board. 9/82 - The American City Corporation presented its plan, the 1982 Master Plan, called A Strategy for Downtown Development, to the City of Augusta and Augusta Tomorrow, Incorporated. American City Corporation planners studied all aspects of the city and found room for expansion and promotion of a medical complex, tourist attractions, historical sites and an economic base. They also found obstacles and challenges - a downtown suffering from an image problem, little attempt to promote tourism, too few convention facilities and an inadequate effort to seek non-industrial business to the downtown area. The 1982 downtown Master Plan called for 20 first priority projects that included development of office space, specialty retail and restaurants, public space improvements, convention and tourist attractions and parking accommodations. The Master Plan expanded the central business area to include Olde Town, the Medical Center area and the Laney Walker neighborhood. A specific recommendation was to develop a neighborhood commercial center on Laney Walker Blvd.The riverfront offered the greatest opportunity to develop Augusta's tourist and convention industry. The Master Plan recommended riverfront improvements in the form of an esplanade/overlook, a hotel-convention center, marina development and office space development. These riverfront developments were recommended to focus attention on the City's heretofore undeveloped and inaccessible Savannah River waterfront.

Products & services

Similar companies nearby