Historic Augusta Neighborhood: Will They Come if They Rebuild It?
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Historic Augusta Neighborhood: Will They Come...
Augusta is planning a major redevelopment of the city's historic inner city neighborhoods. Along with the new trade center, the revitalization project will use money from a dollar a night hotel room...
Augusta is planning a major redevelopment of the city’s historic inner city neighborhoods. Along with the new trade center, the revitalization project will use money from a dollar a night hotel room fee as a source of funding. The trade center will be a tourist draw, but will the inner city be? WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.
Published: July 8, 2009
Updated: July 8, 2009
Augusta, GA—Columbia County teacher Sharon Miller, and some of her students, were taking in a little of Augusta’s history and culture, paying a visit to the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. “Well we’ve really enjoyed visiting the downtown area it’s been a very good learning experience for all of us we’ve had a lot of fun,” said Miller, who is from Martinez.
Augusta would like to see more visitors like the Miller group to the city’s historic Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods.
The plan is for a major redevelopment to enhance housing as well as promote the areas as tourist destinations.
“There is a great deal of history in the city, and right here in the historic Laney-Walker District. We are the anchor for history for this community,” said Christine Miller-Betts, Executive Director of the Laney Museum.
The area surrounding the museum is one of the target zones for the redevelopment. With its run down homes, there’s no question the area needs work, but the redevelopment plan works with what the museum has planned. Using money it got in the last SPLOST, the museum has hired an architect to do conceptual drawings for a major expansion of the museum.
The money still has to be raised, but with the city’s redevelopment plan, hopes are raised in the area.
“We’re going to see expansion of the Lucy Craft Museum we’re going to see expansion in other areas it’s wonderful,” said Miller-Betts.
But, Augusta Commissioners still have not given the go ahead for the redevelopment, or the TEE Center. The two projects are tied together because both are in line to receive funding from a dollar a night hotel fee. And, as city leaders battle over getting the trade center project off the ground, some supporters are saying the city is facing federal penalties because of the delay.
In 2006, the city bonded $20 million for the trade center, but IRS rules say governments can’t borrow money and then just sit on it…drawing interest.
Augusta financial officials say the clock is ticking, but the city is in no immediate danger of having to pay Uncle Sam.
“It will happen in 2011, so we do have a couple more years,” said Assistant Finance Director Tim Schroer.
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