A new gathering place is on the horizon for Columbia County that could arrive as soon as summer 2022.
The Market is slated to be an open-air facility next to the Columbia County Performing Arts Center. It is a general obligation bond project on a proposed list of special-purpose local option sales tax projects voted for in 2017.
Originally called “Plaza Park” in the early stages of the project’s development, The Market will boast a patio area and a greenspace. It is designed to be a multipurpose event space available for use by the PAC, the Evans Market and even the public.
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“This would not necessarily be used just on the weekends,” said Steven Prather, facilities design and construction director and SPLOST construction manager. “We hope that after this project we’ll come back in with some playground equipment back there. There’s a nice greenspace field for Frisbee and walking your dog; it really becomes a part of that whole park, and this is just the last phase of that.”
The special projects department has recently completed design for the building and is currently in the phase of signing a construction contract to get approved by the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 2.
Prather says he aims to begin construction by the end of November, though he anticipates that COVID-19 and supply chain issues may slow down the process.
“We’re hoping that’s not going to be a big deal,” said Prather. “But on just about every project we are seeing extreme delays in dealing with raw materials, even rubber materials and adhesives. We’re hoping that won’t be a burden.”
The construction contract will be for 240 days, so that if the project continues largely unimpeded, The Market could be complete near July 2022.
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Prather notes that while there have been several internal discussions regarding which department would ultimately manage the facility, the project is currently under the Community and Leisure Department.
The structure itself is planned to have a rustic style enhanced with amenities to make it adaptable for a variety of activities.
“We’ll have LED lighting, the cupola will be lit, there’ll be color changing we can change for events,” said Prather. “It’ll be a nice facility, so we’re excited about it. Especially being that close to the PAC and the heart of the plaza.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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