AUGUSTA, Ga. – Downtown Development Authority members and contractors held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, at the opening of a new apartment building in Downtown Augusta.
12 new apartments are now inside the former shirt and handkerchief factory on Ellis Street. Officials in the community say this is one of many projects to hopefully revitalize the downtown area.
Executive director at the Downtown Development Authority, Margaret Woodard, says it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen. “It’s got polished concrete floors, glass and steel. It is probably one of the neatest projects I’ve seen in a long time.”
She says housing projects are needed downtown. “We’ve got 200 housing projects that are set to open and this is one of the first,” say Woodard.
This isn’t the general contractors first time around this block. Mark Donahue has worked on 3 different buildings, just on Ellis Street.
“He’s made an investment of $3 million dollars in this block alone,” Woodard says.
Investments like that are what Commissioner Brandon Garrett says are needed to improve the downtown area.
“The fact that people are coming into the downtown area and recognizing some of the older buildings that are already here, and having a difference vision than what they were intended for; I think that’s great.”
Garrett says with increased momentum and more people wanting to live downtown, new apartments will be popping up.
“You know, it’s one of those things. The more people you have living in the area, the more opportunities there are for the wrap around services such as grocery stores, retail, more restaurants. And that’s true in any case.”
Getting projects like this one done is expected to bring in a lot more people to the area. If you’re looking to live in this historic, industrial building, officials say rent starts at $960, and they say rooms are filling up quick!
