New Downtown and inner-city Augusta/ North Augusta going to another level (Garden City: new construction) (Commerce: for sale, condominiums)

[AUGnative]

so what would the downtown hipsters prefer? I mean sure its a bland looking building but as long as it is occupied and paying taxes then it is a good thing for downtown, right? Maybe they can put a rooftop jazz bar on top. And for the record, it was built in the 1960s not 1978

[Airforceguy]

More lofts coming downtown...

The next rooftop bar slated for development appears to be at 702 Broad St., the former home of Merry Land Properties.

The 44,000-square-foot building’s new owner, Haltermann Partners, intends to turn two floors of the five-story building into 17 loft apartments, with a restaurant on the ground floor and a bar on the roof. One floor would house current tenants, which include Georgia Legal Services Program and The Rossman Group LLC.

Company principal Bryan Haltermann, who already is turning 901 Broad St. into Marshall Lofts, a nine-unit apartment building with ground-floor commercial space, acquired the Merry Land property July 31. He didn’t disclose a sales price and public records were not available, but commercial real estate agents listed the building at $1.75 million.

Haltermann said the 700 block of Broad Street’s reemergence as the theater district practically guarantees the ground-floor space will cater to the dinner-and-a-show crowd.

“The Miller Theater is right next door and they said they plan to have 200 events a year,” Haltermann said. “Restaurants are the new anchor for downtown, the way the department stores were before 1978.”

He said he plans to use state and federal historic tax credits on the $5 million project to restore the building’s original glass storefront-style façade.

“We plan to open it up and let the light back in,” he said.

The building comes with 59 parking spaces, some of which will be made available to architect Chris Booker, who is planning to develop 14-16 apartments in the rear portion of his Commerce Building at 670 Broad St. and on the second floor of the adjacent 662 Broad St.

The buildings will have roughly 20,000 square feet between the two. Booker, whose Christopher Booker & Associates occupies the Commerce Building’s second floor, is the creative force behind the new EDTS LLC offices at the Sibley Mill/Augusta Cyberworks campus. He’s also working with TaxSlayer to redevelop the Downtown Family Y building into office space.

He said he is in discussions with a marketing firm interested in leasing the ground-floor space early next year, and that design and construction on the apartments already is underway.

“We’re looking at starting construction toward the end of the year,” he said.

Scuttlebiz: Chronicle entering bold new era under GateHouse Media | The Augusta Chronicle

[All_4_augusta]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

so what would the downtown hipsters prefer? I mean sure its a bland looking building but as long as it is occupied and paying taxes then it is a good thing for downtown, right? Maybe they can put a rooftop jazz bar on top. And for the record, it was built in the 1960s not 1978

Lol!! Even worse!!! Lol!!

[amlovingit]

The owners of Fat Man's Cafe are bringing a new restaurant concept to 1006 and 1008 Broad street. Opening date is set for March 2018.

Branching Out - Metro Spirit

[amlovingit]

Three mixed-use developments are coming downtown.
17 lofts, restaurant, roof top bar at 702 Broad.
9 lofts/commercial space(Marshall Lofts) at 901 Broad
14-16 lofts/commercial space at 670 and 662 Broad

http://chronicle.augusta.com/%E2%80%...terin%E2%80%A6

[amlovingit]

[quote=amlovingit;49265993]Three mixed-use developments are coming downtown.
17 lofts, restaurant, roof top bar at 702 Broad.
9 lofts/commercial space(Marshall Lofts) at 901 Broad
14-16 lofts/commercial space at 670 and 662 Broad

Scuttlebiz: Chronicle entering bold new era under GateHouse Media | The Augusta Chronicle

[Airforceguy]

A new statue of James Brown would go up in the center of a roundabout being built at James Brown Boulevard and Twiggs Street under plans to enhance tourism through a National Endowment for the Arts grant.


The grant application, going before an Augusta Commission committee Tuesday as information, would help fund the “James Brown Journey,” a 1.5-mile walk or drive under development that would complement existing city Housing and Community Development efforts, mostly residential, on Pine, 11th, Holley and Twiggs streets, according to Director Hawthorne Welcher.

The James Brown Journey would run along James Brown Boulevard between Walton Way and Twiggs Street, with five artistic “stops” along the journey ending at the new statue, according to the agenda item.

The $200,000 grant requires a 100 percent match, but Welcher said the department has the funds.

Plan calls for new James Brown statue to adorn roundabout | The Augusta Chronicle

[AUGnative]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

Plan calls for new James Brown statue to adorn roundabout | The Augusta Chronicle

I think Augusta may be overdoing the James Brown angle. There is already a statue on Broad Street. How about a statue of Lucy Laney? CT Walker? Butterfly McQueen?

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

I think Augusta may be overdoing the James Brown angle. There is already a statue on Broad Street. How about a statue of Lucy Laney? CT Walker? Butterfly McQueen?

Well being that the roundabout is at Jame Brown Blvd, it makes sense. But yeah, it does come across as overkill somewhat since there's already one downtown.

[AUGnative]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Well being that the roundabout is at Jame Brown Blvd, it makes sense. But yeah, it does come across as overkill somewhat since there's already one downtown.

OK then how about move the current statue on Broad Street there. It's in a pretty unceremonious location with an ugly abandoned building behind.. doesn't really make for good photo op. It just seems like having two separate JB statues is overkill. Why not a statue of Jessye Norman?