Commissioner Sean Frantom brought his concerns to the Augusta Commission about the Augusta Market’s accommodations and the urgent need for repairs and upgrades to a number of downtown facilities. Those concerns included electrical power at the Augusta Common and broken fountains.
City officials said they were already bidding the projects out but needed more money. So, a commission committee voted Tuesday to add $125,000 of SPLOST 7 surplus money to $200,000 already allocated to get the work done.
“We’ve got to make sure in Augusta we take care of our different areas where we have guests come to the city,” Frantom said. “The Augusta Market averages 2,000 to 5,000 people a weekend, 36 weekends. It is huge with 70 to 100 vendors. It is a huge economic driver to this community, and we have to make sure that things are working properly.”
Fountains are not working; there are stage lighting issues and electrical power issues of almost 10 years stranding, Frantom said.
“And some of them are big safety panel-box issues that we need to make sure are enhanced quickly,” he said.
As for the Augusta Market, it did not have electrical power for the last five weeks of operation, Frantom said.
“And when vendors go to these festivals, they expect to have power,” he said. “Our neighboring communities have power. I’m happy to report it is out for bid, but it is important this commission takes care of the entire procurement of it.”
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Frantom also spoke about the trees around the James Brown statue because they block the view of the stages that are usually set up on the Reynolds Street side of the Augusta Common.
Recreation and Parks Director Maurice McDowell agreed and said the trees that were planted there were the wrong kind.
“Yes, it would make more sense to cut down the trees,” McDowell said. “We need to bring in our Tree Commission and ask them to be working partners with us.”
The committee voted to have input from the Tree Commission and a report in 30 days.
In an unrelated matter, Augusta Arts Council Executive Director Brenda Durant told committee members that the council is ready to go through the process for the first Gateway Sculpture project this year. The sculpture will be at the gateway at Bobby Jones Expressway and Sand Bar Ferry Road in front of Walton Oaks Apartments.
“We will be working with procurement on that and will be keeping you updated as much as procurement allows us to during that process,” Durant said.
Augusta is also in the second year of a two-year sculpture trail, and the current sculptures will come down in December; a second sculpture trail will start at the beginning of 2023, Durant said.
“Due to impending construction on Broad Street, they have recommended sites on Riverwalk,” she said. “So, that would be a great addition to Riverwalk for two years.”
The third update Durant brought from the Public Art Advisory Panel was the latest sculpture, the Rocky Shoals Spider Lily sculpture at the Augusta Canal Trail. The sculpture was funded privately and commissioned by two local artists.
Sylvia Cooper is a columnist with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com
