Officials behind the HUB for Community Innovation are hopeful for a ribbon cutting ceremony during golf week in spring 2022.
“Construction is coming along,” said Ian Mercier, president and CEO of the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, one of the co-leaders in the project which includes two buildings in the Harrisburg area. One will house several non-profits, and the other will be home to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta. “They’ve poured the slabs on both sites. They’ve done a lot of the groundwork.”
Ground was broken April 6 on the $21 million project that received more than $10 million from the Augusta National, AT&T, Bank of America and IBM and $4 million in federal funding.
“We closed the financials last week. That’s a big step. Everything is pretty much paid for,” he said.
Mercier said they are continuing funding efforts on an endowment that will allow the buildings’ tenants to occupy the space rent free. They are looking for sources out of the area for that endowment because they want the community to focus on supporting the programs of the organizations involved.
The larger of the two buildings is a 33,000 square foot building on Chafee Avenue and will house RISE Augusta, Harrisburg Family Health Care, Augusta University Literacy Center and Augusta Locally Grown.
The new space for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Augusta will be about 16,000 square feet.
One goal of the HUB is to strengthen ties with those living within the Harrisburg and Laney-Walker neighborhoods.
“Not only will the HUB help transform Laney Walker and Harrisburg, two important communities deserving of investment, it will deepen Augusta University’s partnership with and connection to the neighborhoods where we live and work,” Mercier was quoted in an April news release at the MCG Foundation website.
The HUB is only one phase of future construction projects.
The next phase will be an Augusta University building which will focus on “underserved minorities and rural health disparity,” he said.
Ultimately, this is “paving the way for a grocery store” to be built in the area, he said.
The area is considered a food desert and that was one of the early catalysts for the project.
Mercier expects more information on the new Augusta University piece in early 2022.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the features editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
