December is starting off with several celebrations of business in the CSRA, both new and established. The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce began the month with its Best in Business Award luncheon on Thursday.
Exactly week later on the chamber’s calendar, on Dec. 8, Augusta University will host its 15th annual Economic Forecast Breakfast at the school’s Roscoe Williams Ballroom at 7 a.m., where economics professor Simon Medcalfe will offer his analysis and projections of Augusta’s economy.
Meanwhile, businesses are still blooming the next county over. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce kicked off December hosting two ribbon cuttings on Friday. One was for Martinez salon Volume Beauty Lounge, at 212 S. Belair Rd., whose owners Abi Countryman and Heather Laureles held their own grand opening in September.
The other was for Arie’s Confectioneries at its Evans location at 1202 Park Towne Lane. Arielle Page opened the gourmet bakery in September as well, the pastry chef’s first brick-and-mortar location after launching the business from her home in Grovetown two years ago.
MORE: Small businesses honored at Augusta Metro Chamber Best in Business Awards
Architectural firm Robertson Loia Roof has submitted the final plat for the proposed Kroger Marketplace, for consideration at the Augusta Planning Commission’s Dec. 5 meeting. The boundary plat is at 3950 Harper Franklin Ave., along the Jimmie Dyess Pkwy./Fort Gordon corridor.
Southeastern Real Estate will have its proposed development off Horizon South Parkway considered at the beginning of next year. The 10-year project entails building 500 homes, as well as industrial and commercial space, along more than 300 acres along the corridor.
Columbia County Planning recommended that the developer’s request to rezone the land from Residential Agricultural to Planned Unit Development be postponed, noting the narrative accompanying the rezoning application doesn’t yet have a master plan of the road system. The Planning Commission, in its Dec. 1, meeting, agreed, voting to table the request until Jan. 5
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
