The Augusta Planning Commission has green-lit a four-acre assisted living complex on land owned by First Baptist Church of Augusta.
First Baptist will not own or operate the facility, but will sell the parcel of land within its campus on Walton Way Extension to Second Fifty Communities, which operates assisted living facilities in Columbia, Charleston and Greeneville.
Second Fifty Communities is headquartered out of Charleston.
The three story facility will house 132 units and will include a memory care wing. Plans call for the inclusion of a theater, salon and wellness center. Access to the facility will be through the First Baptist Church parking lot. As well as a planned access road linked to Jackson Road.
Potential residents do not have to be members of First Baptist Church, according to Pastor Will Dyer.
“Second Fifty Communities contacted us when they determined there was a need for a retirement community in Richmond County. And we all felt that our land was the perfect spot,” Dyer said.
According to Dyer, the plan is a win for the entire community. The facility will be located near the business district on Robert C. Daniel Parkway and the large medical district around Doctors Hospital. Naturally, should a resident want to attend church, all they have to do is walk from one building to the next.
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Also, because Second Fifty Communities is buying the land from First Baptist, the land and the multimillion dollar complex will return to the property tax rolls. Real estate owned by churches are exempt from property taxes.
“These guys are experienced developers and they have a track record of incredible success and high quality. They are the sorts of people we want to have here in Augusta,” Dyer said.
Second Fifty Communities had been looking to expand to Augusta for several years, according to Dyer. Since the church had no development plans for that area of the property, both parties felt the project was a perfect fit for the community.
“There is currently no other facility like it in Richmond County,” Dyer said.
Dyer said there is currently not a timeline for breaking ground on the project yet because the Planning Commission’s approval was the first step in the process.
The next step will be to present the plan to the full Augusta Commission and ask for its approval before the land transaction can take place. The Commission is expected to hear the proposal on Nov. 16.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
