The once popular Boathouse, a part of the Augusta Marina and owned by the city, has been closed for two years and is now entering a derelict status. Makeshift gates bar entry to the wraparound deck, and the building is not available for use by the public.
On the heels of a very public battle between the Augusta Port Authority and the Parks and Rec Department over city funding for the Augusta Marina, the ramshackle state of the building is leading people to speak out and warn that if the city doesn’t act, what was once a jewel on the Savannah might be lost.
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Linda Lance, a member of the Augusta Rowing Club, says that her group has watched the building deteriorate over the years with the city providing little to no maintenance on the structure. According to Lance, the heating and air unit stopped working two years ago and has never been replaced and now the wrap-around deck is too dangerous to walk on.
“We are allowed to enter the basement where our boats are stored, but we can’t go into the building itself or walk on the deck,” Lance said.
In its current shape, rotted wood can be seen on the upper deck and two haphazardly placed chain link gates lean against the stairs barring access.
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Augusta Port Authority Chairman Clarence Thompkins III complained to the Augusta Commission that the Authority was being charged $60,000 a year for the city to cut the grass at the Boathouse and yet the grass surrounding the property along the levee is knee high. It appears someone attempted to cut a few lines with a small mower and then gave up.
An open records request to the city was returned with the city stating that there are no maintenance logs on the property for the past two years.
The city check registry for the Boathouse shows the city has spent minor amounts of money on replacement lumber and paid $900 to have the roof patched. The city also pays the Augusta Utilities Department between $200 and $300 a month for water and sewage, but it shows no payments to Georgia Power.
So, according to city records, the building has running water but no electricity. Also, a $300-a-month water bill on an abandoned building is an indication of leaking pipes, according to District 10 Commissioner John Clarke.
“For the life of me I can’t understand why they would shut the power off but leave the water turned on when no one can safely get into the building,” Clarke said.
Parks and Rec Department Director Maurice McDowell says the building needs at least $1 million in repairs for it to be reopened to the public.
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Funding in the amount of $450,000 was provided through SPLOST VI, but that money was never spent, and the city is currently collecting SPLOST VIII, of which an additional $500,000 is earmarked for the Boathouse.
“We are looking at the funding issue, and I will be making a presentation to the commission soon,” McDowell said.
However, Clarke is skeptical of any plans being drawn up by McDowell.
“If they had just simply maintained the building, we wouldn’t be looking at such a staggering repair bill. I am told that the deck alone is going to cost $900,000 to replace,” Clarke said. “I’m down at the Boathouse right now because I was told that the grass was cut yesterday and that was not true. If they can’t cut the grass, how are they going to restore the building?”
According to Clarke, a man from out of town who owns several local restaurants approached the city and wanted to buy the building outright for $1.2 million. Clarke declined to identify the man, but said the man was prepared to buy the building as is and pay for the restoration work himself.
Clarke says the man was told the city was not interested in selling the property.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
