The Augusta Procurement Department sent out requests for proposals this week to demolish the old jail building on Walton Way which is the first step in the removal of a building that a majority of commissioners feel has outlived its lifespan.
“401,” as it is known has been a controversial building since the day it was opened. Most people
of the time thought it was ugly and derided it as the “Giant Crustacean next to the Red Lobster.”
The building, which was completed in 1985 would only go on to serve 27 years of its intended
purpose.
In the early 2000s, the building developed a serious leak in the basement due to shoddy
plumbing, and the moisture eventually created a serious mold problem throughout the workspace areas. Employees with allergy issues had to work in a portable building outside.
Finally, the building was retired, but even in its mothballed state, the building remains
controversial as Superior Court Chief Judge Carl Brown is in hot water with the Georgia Judicial
Qualifications Commission over his attempts to save the building and have it continue use as a
Juvenile Court Facility.
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The building also has recently attracted the attention of the national film industry for its use as a
movie set. Sanford Hampton, a well known film producer from Los Angeles, was the first to use the building as a set for his movie “One Heart” and says his company spent $20,000 to bring the building up to code.
“The building was a bit of a mess when we got there,” Hampton says. “We got rid of the moisture and all of the mold upstairs, sealed the basement off and paid for environmental testing to make sure it was safe.”
Hampton says that the old jail totally met his company’s needs. “I have several projects in the pipeline, many of which Augusta would be perfect for,” he says. ”I like everything about Augusta and I would definitely like to come back.”
However, the possible future for the building as a film set was not enough to save the building.
In 2015, voters agreed to spend $1.5 million on the demolition in that year’s SPLOST referendum and this year voted in SPOST 8 which allocates $6 million for the construction of a replacement building to house Juvenile Court.
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District 10 Commissioner John Clarke has been an advocate for saving the building, but at this
point he has resigned himself to the fact he does not have the six votes necessary to revisit the
issue.
“It is done. No amount of sanity I try to bring to the table will change anything,” he says. “It is a
real missed opportunity in my opinion, but the votes just aren’t there to discuss it anymore.” Companies wishing to bid on the demolition have until March 30 to submit proposals. Clarke says he accepts the fact that getting rid of the jail is a done deal, but he isn’t done pointing out the city has wasted an opportunity in saving the structure.
“I might just go down there and when they push the button to set off the TNT, I’ll set off fireworks
into the sky to remind the taxpayers that their money is being wasted and going up in smoke,”
he says. “Everyone should have thought this thing through and saved the taxpayers money, but
I am only one vote.
Scott Hudson is the Managing Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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