Way back in the mid-602 a singer named Petula Clark released a song which quickly rose to #1 in American Music charts. The title was “Downtown.” I remember the light, happy, hopeful tune. It described going downtown as a way to “forget all your troubles, forget all your cares”.
Here are some of the lyrics:
“When you’re alone, and life is making you lonely
You can always go
Downtown
When you’ve got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know
Downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, things’ll be great when you’re
Downtown, no finer place for sure
Downtown everything’s waiting for you”
It’s out there on Youtube for you young bucks.
I first rode on an elevator in downtown Augusta, my dentist being far above street level. The Southern Finance Building was where it happened. Not sure what it is called now. It also had a glass front mail chute, and sometimes I would get lucky and spot a parcel (that’s what they called a letter back then) shoot past on it’s way to who knows where.
This was a time when most businesses were downtown. If you needed glasses, Dr Casella had it covered. Most everything was downtown. Mooney’s Shoes, Friedman’s Jewelers, S.H. Kress, more than I can remember.
Rode my first escalator in the Sears on 15th street, which is now MCG or some other name. I think J.B. Whites had an escalator but not sure.
Anyway, this was before the term suburban sprawl had meaning. The lyrics of Merle Haggard’s song come to mind. When a Coke was still cola, and a joint was a bad place to be. Back before Nixon lied to us all on TV.
Bittersweet memories as a trip Saturday afternoon took me from the intersection of Bobby Jones and Washington Road through downtown to Gordon Highway on the way to Aiken.
I had heard the hue and cry of those opposed to the tree removal and the overall plan to “revitalize” Broad Street once again. I did see the large stumps where trees had been removed, then somewhere around 10th Street I merged into a tree lined middle parking.
I saw folks eating and visiting at sidewalk tables and restaurants. On a Saturday, it wasn’t exactly bustling.
What I did notice was the deplorable condition of pavement of Broad Street. I drive a heavy duty truck, but there were so many generations of pavement and patching of pavement, the ride was a roller coaster. The sidewalks were no better.
I say all of this to ask a series of questions.
What, exactly is Augusta’s plan for downtown? The sprawl of businesses has happened and died. With many an empty shopping center (Southgate) shuttered or opening up 3rd tier outlets, what used to be a mall and now is the equivalent of Chernobyl, and a revolving door of business licenses which only slows the closer the proximity to Columbia County.
The sprawl of people happened and is here to stay. Downtown Augusta will never again be the hub or center of activity for Richmond County. Repeat it: never again. It may serve a smaller subset of medical students. Gen X’ers are in their mid-40s to late 60s, Millennials in 30s to early 40s. The generations after are, for a large part, basement keyboard heroes arguing about pronouns and gender identification.
Rebuilding of theaters and entertainment venues is a noble cause and sustains a location for third level, aging rock stars and smaller specialty performances and the resulting dinner and drinks crowd after.
If only leadership had recognized the need to move out of downtown for such venues years ago.
Maybe a larger question than what is the plan for downtown should be, “What’s the plan for Augusta”? Where is the vision for Augusta? Since consolidation, Augusta is no longer JUST downtown as Petula Clark sings of. Where is the leadership? It seems we, as a city, have attempted Improvement with a shotgun approach firing at the most pressing area needing attention. And downtown, as commonly defined, is as far east and as far south as a location in Augusta/Richmond County can be. Hell’s Bells, Barry Storey has done more for Richmond County’s gateways than the entire county has. And never ask for a dime. In fact, I knew of cowardly efforts to shy away from his offers due to perceived liability.
Mayor Garnett Johnson gives me hope. A Charter Review Committee gives me hope. The commissioners I have observed give me confidence in their intelligence, are articulate, and look to be capable. I was disappointed when I heard Alvin Mason threw in the towel.
But where is the PLAN? Do we have one? If so, when was it developed, what were the milestones (with dates) and where have the updates been on progression made? Augusta seems to be adrift like a rudderless ship. Tossed here to there by the latest volume of the latest wave or the greatest push of the latest political power. Mayor Copenhaver beat his head against rock after rock to save the baseball team. Thank him for his effort, but it fell on deaf ears. Now they are in North Augusta and the end of Eisenhower Drive is host to Hurricane Helene waste.
Where is the PLAN?
Georgia Power built two nuclear power generators in Burke County. They were years behind schedule and millions (billions, I don’t know) over budget. BUT THEY GOT THE THINGS BUILT AND ONLINE PRODUCING!.
Where is the PLAN? Show me it!
Augusta/Richmond County has a 2025 budget of $1,354,206,670. If you wrote it on a check it would look like this:
Where is the PLAN? Show Augustans a plan, if it makes sense and includes all of Augusta/Richmond County, then at least there is something to get behind. Something to support. A goal to achieve with milestones, dates for achievement, and an endpoint we can all pull together. I would rather be tardy trying to achieve and end than to be on-time achieving nothing!
For years I have heard this flippant buzzword of One Augusta. Well, someone have the chutzpah, the boldness, the brass, the courage, the vision to lead the charge. To stop the wandering in the wilderness. To name a target, map a path, then lead Augusta towards a goal.
Then advertise it, herald it, show the benefits, promote the direction of assets and keep Augustan’s focused on the next milestone, the next achievement, the next goal. Like a certain president, market the achievements to the highest degree. Focus after a victory and then pull the next goal in focus.
But this current level of subsistence is unacceptable for a city with such potential and so many natural resources. To continually bounce from one ridiculous predicament to another with a patchquilt of fixes is no way to run a business.
Maybe the Charter Committee can make positive changes in the design that make sense. I can tell you for the 20 plus years I was honored to serve on the Augusta Aviation Commission, The executive director had a plan. At one point when we were close to achieving a majority of goals, we hired a consultant, laid out where we wanted to Go, and they laid out a rough plan. I can tell you, even with some speedbumps, that Commission made a plane and worked that plan. Almost every decision made as a committee was driven to achieve milestones on that plan.
Just take a look at Augusta Regional Airport and the improvement over the last 25 years to see what can be achieved with direction, leadership and a team committed.
I don’t have the answers. I don’t even know where we need to be as a consolidated Richmond County/Augusta. I do recognize whatever the heck we are doing, Columbia County is doing it better. North Augusta is doing it better. Waynesboro is nipping at our arse attracting those desiring Rural living with no other attraction than “We ain’t Augusta!”
Oh, the places we can go with an ounce of REAL leadership.
