As Richmond County voters consider a March 16 vote on a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), some are scratching their heads at the proposed $14 million allocated to the old train depot at 5th Street and Reynolds.
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The depot has long been a political hot potato. Numerous ideas and plans have all fallen through in the past.
In the mid-2000s, then-Commissioners Calvin Holland, Marion Williams and Betty Beard were caught trying to shake down a potential investor by strong arming him into building a hotel as well as condos on the property and donating money to their favorite charities. That potential investor walked away from the table and never returned.
The latest idea was unveiled in 2018. Investors planned a $98 million mixed-use space that included residential, retail and office space as well as plenty of parking.
That idea died on the vine like all others before it.
Now, the city wants to find a use for the property, but there is a major problem. Commissioners have a perpetual contract with Unisys giving them a permanent lease on the depot land as a parking lot.
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John Clarke, 10th district commissioner, says that is why the $14 million allocation was made.
“You can’t make a deal on property where there is already a deal in place,” he says.
Clarke notes that the Unisys parking lot is empty on most days and mostly used by Sheriff’s deputies as a place to park and fill out their shift reports. However, he says, “A deal is a deal,” and the city has to abide by the lease, whether the parking lot is filled or not.
City officials have offered to allow use of the parking deck adjacent to the TEE Center even though that parking deck is just as close as the depot. Unisys has turned down the offer.
The multi-million-dollar SPLOST allocation is to build a parking garage adjacent to or at least near the depot property. A brand-new parking deck is a problem as well; there is no place to put it unless nearby buildings are demolished.
So, it appears that the depot allocation is to build a parking deck near an empty parking lot to support a development that hasn’t ever materialized, despite years of trying.
Scott Hudson is the Managing Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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