Augusta approves planning for downtown entertainment district

AUGUSTA Ga (WJBF) – Downtown is a gathering place for Augusta, but city leaders are looking to take steps to make it even more so.

“The idea would be to create a location where folks could eat, where they could live, where they can plan right here in the downtown area,” said Commissioner Jordan Johnson.

With Commissioners voting to begin planning to create a downtown entertainment district, this could lead to rewriting city ordinances, like allowing seating on sidewalks for downtown bars.

“If you are a bar that serves no food or certain percentage of food you can’t have outdoor seating,” said Margaret Woodard, Executive Director of the Augusta Downtown Development Authority.

Other codes that could be re-written would be to allow customers to take their drinks with them as they visit downtown.

“They basically get a cup at these establishments to be able to walk from establishment to establishment, also include the new James Brown arena that opens in 2027,” said Commissioner Sean Frantom.

Augusta is looking at other cities that have entertainment districts for ideas.

“We’re not inventing the wheel, there are a lot of cities in Georgia that have done this. Greenville’s got one, Toccoa, Kennesaw…there is a lot of good examples,” said Woodard.

But city leaders understand with possible changes to how alcohol is sold and consumed, law enforcement will need to be involved.

“I feel confident we will get it done. Obviously we have to have the Sheriff’s Department’s blessing on this and we’ll meet with them pretty quickly, I think,” said Frantom.

“Some of these changes probably will be uncomfortable in the beginning but twenty years down the line we’re going to look back at what we do this year and be grateful that we did,” said Johnson.

City leaders are saying they’re not sure how long this move to create a downtown entertainment district will take, but the first major step has been taken.

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