Augusta businesses on Wrightsboro Road, Olive Road and Gordon Highway are potentially on notice for being magnets for street crime after several Augusta Commission votes Tuesday.
One, Club Rain at 1855 Gordon Hwy., was recommended for a one-year suspension by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office after being the scene of multiple shootings.
The club is owned by Georgia Southern football hall-of-famer Voncellies Allen.
“We don’t feel like he’s taking the situation seriously enough,” said sheriff’s Inv. Jose Ortiz.
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Allen, whose name was misspelled on city documents, said he hadn’t been contacted until last week about the alleged infractions. He said the club operated a “sobering spot” that opened at 2 a.m. for after-hours revelers.
The commission voted 8-1 to refer the decision to the March 3 commission meeting. Commissioner Tony Lewis voted no and Commissioner Alvin Mason was absent.
The other votes involved convenience stores brought to the forefront by commissioners Catherine Smith McKnight and Jordan Johnson.
Smart Grocery owner Sae Pak’s holdings include an entire strip mall in the 3200 block of Wrightsboro.
Pak told commissioners that despite reports of some 2,000 emergency calls to the location, few came from store management and most involved nearby apartment complexes.
He said a property owner’s cleanup of the Fox Den apartment complex, located immediately behind the store had cost the store business, while hiring police to work special-duty assignments has been costly.
Pak said the activity already had prompted Little Caesar’s to vacate the premises.
The commission’s motion was to task city staff with forming a recommendation for putting the stores on probation. It passed 8-1 with Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle opposed.
