Ground will be broken this week at the Augusta Corporate Park for our second recycling industry project announced in just the last few months. There’s been a lot of ground breaking recently in my part of the world with more announcements in the works. But for the folks out my way, the unmatched potential of one site stands alone above all others: the Regency Mall.
We are aiming at the re-emergence of the South Augusta retail corridor along the already bustling Cyber Corridor. If you have not noticed, you should drive 15th Street from downtown to Gordon Highway to Fort Gordon. This Cyber Corridor begins downtown with the brand-new Cyber Command Center, which has already accelerated the revitalization of our city center with new apartments going up, new restaurants opening each month and thousands of tourist and retail dollars being spent with small locally owned businesses. Then the Cyber Corridor passes the Regency site before ending at Fort Gordon where the NSA and the Signal Corps continue to bring in new missions and vitally important national security jobs. These jobs pay extremely well, and the new residents need housing, retail and entertainment options.
Augusta has a demand for residential and other amenities along the Cyber Corridor. And standing at the center of this corridor—and at the geographic center of Augusta itself—is the Regency Mall. This site was once the proud gateway to South Augusta, but in 2022, it is in desperate need of revitalization. Augusta recently received a Planning and Development application that has the potential to addresses both Regency’s needs and the Cyber Corridor’s demand.
The plan is clearly the biggest and most impressive we have seen for this site. The needed retail and commercial space are provided, with market rate apartments, and a charter school with an auditorium as the foundation of it all. This could be transformational for Augusta. But as we’re all aware, the Regency Mall has been one of the most divisive issues in Augusta for around a decade now; and it’s entirely predictable that landing here in an election season would only enhance the divisiveness. Still, as an elected commissioner whose entire district is impacted by the Regency site and the continued growth along the Cyber Corridor, it was disheartening to see so many people going down the same tired roads we have been on for years.
Given all the drama surrounding the Regency Mall, it’s understandable that Augustans would feel sort of snake-bit; and some skepticism is understandable. And to be sure, there are a number of unknowns at this point. There are questions about financing, although it is currently a private investment, a much-needed grocery store and the trustworthiness of the owner group. But having these types of unknowns at this early stage of the process is normal. Plans of this magnitude rarely show up at the Planning and Development application stage fully-formed and 100% figured out. I have seen this same path taken on numerous residential and commercial and industrial development announcements. And instead of taking to the computer or the microphone right now to pick on your favorite unanswered question, I would ask that you place a reasonable amount of trust in elected leaders to lead. Augusta has tools, like zoning conditions for example, to address problems that pop up. And if you doubt these tools are available, recall that the 2018 arena plan was stopped cold by the voters. And at this stage of the process, a plan with this type of transformational potential must be encouraged and supported; and at the very least it should be given a fair opportunity to work through a vetting process. This is how leaders lead—they guide and they find solutions to problems.
And, while the skepticism we’re hearing is understandable given the drama of the past, at the same time letting the ghosts of past drama haunt our present and future opportunities hardly seems like a great way to go. Sadly, these ghosts have become regular visitors to the City. This is unfortunate. And of course, these ghosts absolutely love it here in an election year. Again, it was totally predictable this latest Regency Mall proposal would get twisted with election season silliness. In some ways, it’s very unfortunate this transformational plan has landed in Augusta at this precise moment. Using our most important issues as political footballs just can’t be the way to go. Augusta deserves better than that.
Augusta also deserves better than the attacks and insults that are already flying. In particular, I can tell you that running down South Augusta and the area around the Regency Mall is no more welcome now than it was in 2018. And given that the two projects—an arena and a multipurpose revitalization plan—seem to span the entire spectrum of possible projects at the Regency site, I can’t help but wonder what type of use for Regency could possibly be proposed that would help these good folks keep their insults in their pockets. But here’s the deal: the owners of the property aren’t running down the area. They’ve looked at our demand for the Cyber Corridor area, and they’re putting some cash at risk because they believe the Regency Mall site is suitable for satisfying that demand. The owner of the Regency Mall looks at South Augusta and sees an opportunity.
But, sadly, I am sure as this process unfolds over the next while the attacks, insults and accusations will only multiply. This is by now normal in Augusta. Around and around we all go, one side of town pitted against another, with some in the media egging it on. Thankfully, some running for office see the project’s potential and then need for revitalization. But others seem to be egging on the fight along with the media. This infighting and squabbling can’t be good for the City, and it certainly doesn’t help big plans succeed. If anything, we should all agree and be optimistic about the positive impact this project could have on so many of our children. The charter school group involved in the plan is the same one that is in Hephzibah right now and is operating near the top of all charter schools in Georgia. We should all be able to get behind the plan to bring this excellent educational opportunity to South Augusta students. Also, making this charter school the anchor for this plan shows a great deal of foresight on the part of the owner. As a commissioner, one thing that my colleagues and I hear over and over again is that school performance is hindering growth and investment throughout the city and in South Augusta in particular. Bringing an excellent school to this location improves the chances of the plan’s success, while at the same time improving the potential for the project to have a positive impact on surrounding areas.
We need to let some of those old ghosts from past dramas die, and we need to move forward with some optimism. Is the plan 100% complete yet, and completely free of unknowns? No. Is it possible this plan will fall flat on its face and all the naysayers can say I told you so? Yes. But at this stage of the process all this is totally normal and to be expected. Try putting some faith in the leaders you elected to support this remarkable plan, and to use the tools we have to deal with whatever problems come up. But at the same time, don’t get so caught up in the idea of getting folks elected right now that you forget politics is only a necessary evil; it serves the peoples’ needs, and not the other way around.
I’m in favor of making these changes starting right now. If not, I worry we could do damage that can’t soon be repaired. It seems obvious that the road we’ve been on for far too long already discourages some investment in Augusta. And at some point, the investors may just stop coming altogether.
Brandon Garrett
Augusta Richmond County Commissioner
District 8
