AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Marion Jones has lived in this neighborhood for years and when the Law Enforcement Center site is redeveloped, he knows what he wants to see.
“It really needs a grocery store because we don’t have nothing around this neighborhood, we have to catch the bus if people don’t have transportation, have to go way out to Gordon Highway, Deans Bridge Road,” said Jones.
Augusta had high hopes for the site, bringing in an Atlanta firm to conduct a development study. But the study concludes it is not suitable now for commercial or residential development.
“For now, they told us it’s a site waiting to be developed there’s not that immediate development need that many people though it would be. Their initial thought is to get people back acclimated to the area,” said Cal Wray, President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority.
The study recommends creating green space at the site, allowing it to be used for sports like soccer or family movie nights.
“I’m not completely surprised by this being it’s a little bit off. I mean obviously you got Gordon Highway it’s not the hustle and bustle of downtown, so I could see the reason for the conclusions, obviously not the result we had hoped,” said Wray.
The study recommends in the long term, the city could development the area into a business innovation hub, but is that the direction the city will want to go.
“I think that’s to be determined. You obviously have the Georgia Cyber Center downtown, which is an innovation hub already,” said Wray.
It was a site the city was willing to spend money on to study its potential but the conclusions are not what the neighborhood had in store.
