Augusta Canal Expansion

[PJA]

Here are some articles that go into detail explaining the plans for the expansion downtown. There's even a video included in one article.

Metro Spirit: Augusta Canal Expansion

WJBF Augusta Canal article

http://www.augustaga.gov/misc/docs/poster_ellisoption.pdf

http://www.augustaga.gov/misc/docs/EllisOption_SlideMap.pdf

http://www.augustaga.gov/misc/docs/EllisStOption_Slides.pdf

Those last three links are courtesy the city of Augusta's website.

I think that this would be an amazing project and probably the best thing to happen in Augusta in a long time. Downtown is already on the upswing but this would definitely cause downtown to explode a lot faster.

[Topher1]

Just reading about it, this sounded like a crazy (though cool) project. However, after looking at these pdf's, this not only looks really desirable, but also feasible. I wasn't sure the plan would accomodate the movement of people across the canal, but this actually addresses that really well. The busiest roads are thru roads (James Brown, 13th, Broad, Reynolds), and pedestrian overpasses exist for most of the new road stubbs. Also funnelling auto traffic onto James Brown can only help to bring more business to that street... I'm for any plan that can expand business and activity off of Broad St. to other parts of downtown.

[jungletobacco]

Wow this is the most out the box thinking i ever heard in Augusta! Lately it it been all about shopping centers, condos and starbucks. Neither of those things would put Augusta in its rightful place with the top cities in the south. The TEE Center is small potatoes to me it wont have a huge impact on the economy and neither would the baseball park. of those thing have been already done by surrounding areas, that why we are behind cities like Greenville, Charleston, and Columbia. Now I think this canal expansion is the answer to our problem. No need to go visit the Augusta Canal, it will come to you, right in the heart of downtown Augusta. Can you imagine crazy first Fridays will be with people getting rides on canoes and maybe boats. the only traffic would be crowds of people taking pictures and dining outside. The canal expansion would enhance culture (festivals) and revenue for the city. I believe that North Augusta would benefit from the explosion downtown because with the completion of the Palmetto pkwy it will officially make N. AUG part of us.

The only question is: how much and how long?

[augga706]

Theyre trying to tie the 3rd level of the canal since its getting clean up as we speak into the ellis street project. It would be called telfair station, the new judicial center would also be included. The ellis street waterway projected cost is 25-30 million

[augga706]

Augusta Canal to get repairs

The canal will recieve $735,000

[krazeeboi]

Wow, this looks pretty impressive. I see the third PDF slideshow used San Antonio's RiverWalk as an example of what something like this proposed project could resemble, which is the first thing that came to mind for me when looking at the first PDF file. Other comparable projects exist in Richmond and Indianapolis. I hope Augusta can pull it off!

[krazeeboi]

Here are some pictures of the revitalized canals in Richmond and Indianapolis that Augusta can look to for inspiration.

Indianapolis

Richmond