AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The building at Dyess Park has been a part of the community for more than 130 years, getting its start as a city fire station.
“First building the city actually built as a fire station in Augusta – it’s a beautiful Victorian building,” said Erick Montgomery, Executive Director of Historic Augusta.
The building has served as a community center for decades, but has been closed for the last six years due to it’s condition.
Dyess Park is preparing for $8 million in renovations, but plans call for the fire station to be torn down and a new community center built.
“Right now, that old community center stands there, and it will take much more money to make something of it than continue with our current plans,” said Commissioner Jordan Johnson.
But there is a plan to restore the old fire station for a new use submitted, to the city by Historic Augusta and two private developers.
“A couple of folks that have Augusta connections who live in Atlanta who are proposing to rehab it for new uses for the community,” said Montgomery.
But the Rec. Department and the Procurement Department are recommending rejecting the proposal to renovate the old Fire Station saying it’s not cost efficient, and the community wants a new center at Dyess Park.
“It’s time to do what we know is best that building is a community center that we don’t have money to maintain,” said Commissioner Johnson.
A commission committee is scheduled to discuss the renovation proposal at a meeting Tuesday, as city leaders face the second proposal to demolish parts of Augusta’s history in two weeks.
Last week, the owner of the old First Baptist Church filed for demolition of that structure.
