I keep hearing Mayor Deke Copenhaver press for a baseball stadium on the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame property. I'm perplexed why he's so adamant despite no accompanying support from commissioners, legislators and citizens. The overwhelming nonsupport makes me wonder whom the mayor is working for these days -- Augusta citizens or Ripken Baseball.
I can see why Ripken Baseball would want the new stadium. It could increase the value of the Augusta franchise. But for Augustans who built an excellent stadium a few years back, it represents a duplication of an investment. Why would it make sense to build another stadium downtown and possibly ruin the land for a use we currently do not have to enjoy? I'm not sure what the highest and best use of that property might be, but a "think tank" of Augusta citizens can come up with one.
Baseball is not an all-year deal; it has a short season. While I'm sure the stadium can be used for other events, there already are a host of such venues downtown with the amphitheater, Augusta Common, Bell Auditorium, etc. None can afford to lose business. What's wrong with hosting events at the current GreenJackets stadium?
Not much consideration is being given to the possible detrimental effect of abandoning Lake Olmstead Stadium. The stadium and the traffic it generates have helped give new life to the Lake Olmstead area, which at one time was a popular place for recreational activities. If the lake is dredged as planned it could regain more popularity. We should work not only to preserve this jewel but to invest more in its upkeep and facility enhancement.
Why does the mayor think downtown is the only place Augustans should flock to for fun? What's wrong with spreading it around so economic benefits can be enjoyed by other areas of Augusta? Does everything have to be downtown?
Lawrence Smith
Martinez
Yes it should be downtown. And no, it's not a "stadium" but a much bigger concept than that. What would be the point in duplicating what we already have? Give the current Greenjackets stadium to ASU. You liked the baskeball didn't you? A complex such as the Mayor envisions would put more there there in downtown Augusta.
No it shouldn't be downtown. There is already a traffic jam and this would only make it worse. I have a wonderful idea. Let Cal finance it himself if it is such a money maker. I don't really think the "stakeholders" downtown would let a sweetheary profitable venture slip away. Why aren't they putting their millions on the line for such a sure thing???
For Mr. Smiths information. The downtown is by, for, and of the "stakeholders" and who are you to question them. They are afterall the only important people that the commission needs to worry about in river city.
Hope this isn't the same Lawrence Smith mentioned in the story titled "Supreme Court to hear Augusta Case"
Comparing a cute little ball field at the end of a dirt road bottleneck to the mixed use stadium being promoted for downtown is a rather hard stretch to make, though Mr. Smith makes a pretty good pitch for his LTE. Lake Olmstead improvements should be kept on the front burner for all the reasons mentioned. The mayor likes the downtown stadium idea, as do I, but the money isn't controlled by the mayor. Since he has almost no power beyond persuasion, it's unlikely he'll get the stadium until he persuades enough people to support him. Where's the complaint?
Deke Coperhaver-Boardman has two objectives. Both are self serving. First, he is building a platform of "government leadership" with Washington D.C. in his near future. He is being "groomed for the U.S. Senate". Second, he is a "cheerleader" for "new construction", needed or not at taxpayer expense. This wave of "new construction will greatly benefit his "extended family/financial supporters". It is simple. Deke already has the "mind and soul of Washington D.C". Dysfunction Junction. Next stop the Coperhaver-Boardman Stadium and Sports Complex. All Abooooard!!!!!
Good points, Deekster. Copenhaver's and Russell's manias for new construction will hurt the city in the end. They love to get new projects going, but they do not tend to the property they already have. They let the buildings run down with inadequate maintenance. They let the roads deteriorate with infrequent re-surfacing. They let the sewer pipes get cracks in the joints without repair. They let bus service run down to where it serves virtually no one. They let the parks get trashy with poor landscaping practices.
Are you saying that we shouldn't build anything new because the City does not maintain what they already have? If the City maintained all of the items you listed, would you then want to build something new?
Deekster. exactly what is it you have against the Boardmans (or Deke, for that matter)? Seems personal ans sonds like wealth envy to me. Grooming for D.C.? I seriously doubt it-just who would he run against? I no longer live in Augusta and see no need for down town stadium when the roads and streets are in such bad shape. Jones street between 13th and 15th street hasn't got a 50 foot space betwen poorly repaired sectins that have been dug up for one reason or another. Same for many other streets in Augusta.
Nat, the only people who should be building a baseball stadium are private interests who can put up their own money or voluntary investment money. The government should not take tax money by force and use it to build a minor league baseball stadium (or a major league stadium for that matter).
What this city needs is a mayor and a city administrator who actually enjoy the mundane tasks of running a city efficiently for the benefits of the citizens. They should like coming to work and improving the streets, fixing leaks in sewer manholes underground. Pruning the city's shrubbery. Replacing burned out light bulbs. Policing the parks. Making the bus system serve the people's transportation needs as efficiently as possible. Supervising and coaching city employees to work smart and hard.
Neither one of them likes to do that. So we have this culture of “What, me worry?” being nurtured.
Lamb--Point well-taken on tax money being spent unwisely. I might want to consider a Major League Team & Stadium though....I know it wouldn't happen here, now, I don't think, I don't know, with Cal Ripken, maybe?, Naw.
I have nothing personal against Deke or the Boardman family as such. The "truth" about corrupt politics and political machines in the South interest me. History repeating itself interest me. As I have stated before, I have lived in Augusta for seven decades. I have seen this town run by a "bootlegging mob boss". Watched them gather at Sconyer's for years. Watched the local politicos "bow and kiss the hand". I have seen so called "racist "southern white men" elect Afro Americans to leadership positions. Every imaginable "corrupt scam" on the "honest taxpaying citizens of ARC has been played out. Politicians know ARC was and is a "government subsidized economy". Ripe for the taking. Poorly informed, trusting souls awaiting the "scavengers". A blank check for corruption. Local politics is the "best entertainment in town". Enjoy. It not serious. Believe me it can get worse.
The truth hurts, but it is the only thing that can set you free. "The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it,
but in the end; there it is.” Winston Churchill
I know Billy Morris isn't for the stadium. But Billy nobody in the metro wants a new Morris Museum of Art right now. Especially when we can have a baseball stadium, residential, entertainment, restaurants, offices, etc. I'm definitely for bigger and better museums in Augusta. But Deke has investors like(Jim Jacoby and Cal Ripken Jr) waiting in the wings... I would like to see a performing arts theatre on the Savannah River after the mix-use project downtown gets started.
Then we can start talking about building a 20,000 seat arena. Since the James Brown Arena is starting to get shows all the time. Or building a bigger Morris Museum of Art or another museum downtown.
I still wonder when the sheriffs office will hire some maintenance people for their admin building. But wait. No need for that. What we need to do is build him another building, that is self-maintaining. In fact I believe the only building that has assigned maintenance people is the court house. No wonder everything is falling down. But we the people refuse to see what is plainly in front of our faces. And that is we have a second rate government that is for no one but the "stakeholders" and they won't even tell us who they are. But, one thing is sure in river city, we will reelect what we have.
Lake Olmstead is surrounding by a housing project. Since Augusta just tore down Gilbert Manor. And underwood homes is boarded up and ready to be demolished. I don't think were tearing any housing projects down until late this year or 2011. I say give Lake Olmstead to ASU, Paine College, and high/middle school teams.. Hold weddings, outdoor concerts, etc there too.. In the future tear down Lake Olmstead homes and build residential and green space.
More reasons to tax the already overburdened taxpayers of ARC. Watch them as they flock elsewhere. High taxes, unsafe neighborhoods and politicians that can't remove their heads from their posteriors long enough to realize they have been alienating South Augustans for so long that the tax base is fleeing in droves. Not to mention the high number of schools that fail to meet AYI. When all you have left is section 8 housing and a police department that is afraid to answer calls for lack of firepower and manpower at least you can go downtown and enjoy a riverfront baseball game....
Shocking, the Chronicle takes another swipe at the stadium mixed -used entertainment center idea. Fair and balanced...hmmm?
Nothing new here, but glad to see a guy from Columbia County has an opinion on things impacting Richmond County. I just don't understand critiquing an idea when we haven't heard the full plan for how it would be built or what cost (if any) to the tax payer. There hasn't been anything new reported in weeks but the Chronicle clearly enjoys kicking up the dirt every week or so that nobody gets complacent on the idea.
Some comments—JLeyes says:
Chronicle takes another swipe at the stadium mixed -used entertainment center idea. Fair and balanced...hmmm?
It's a letter to the editor, JLeyes. It is not an official editorial of the paper.
JLeyes says:
I just don't understand critiquing an idea when we haven't heard the full plan for how it would be built or what cost (if any) to the tax payer.
That's a good point, JLeyes, but whose fault is it? The mayor keeps talking up the downtown stadium and even has an artists' rendering of the concept. But the mayor has not hinted at how the taxpayers would pay nor how much. If the mayor keeps his dealings with developers a secret, how can The Chronicle publish such secret information? The backroom dealing may be about finished with the developers, but the backroom dealing between the developers and the commissioners has just begun.
Countyman urges the Housing Authority to tear down Olmstead Homes and build some residential units there. Duh! Olmstead Homes is residential. Doesn't Countyman remember that the Housing Authority spent about $20 million a couple of years ago to renovate those housing units to state of the art construction? Olmstead Homes is one of the premier housing projects at this time in Augusta.
AWyld1.... South Augusta is one of the fastest growing(residential) areas in the CSRA. People forget how LARGE South Augusta is. It can go from Gordon hwy up until the city limits of Hephziah(which start south of Willis Foreman going to Burke county) There are ALOT of 200K-300k houses(past Tobacco rd before you hit Mcbean, South Richmond, Hephzibah and Blythe)in South Augusta. Tobacco road runs through Peach Orchard, Mike Padgett hwy, Deans Bridge rd, and Doug Barnard.... Old Waynesboro rd, Gracewood, Willis Foreman rd, Brown rd, Diamond Lakes, Goshen, etc have very nice neighborhoods in South Augusta.
Diamond Lakes and Goshen attract lots of new residents every year. They're both in South Augusta. Only they have they're own identity.
Ride down Willis Foreman rd or Brown rd for example. These roads run into the city limits of Hephzibah too. But alot of the homes only have a Hephzibah address but not in the city limits of Hephzibah. That means they're in South Augusta.
Some of the new neighorhoods in South Augusta. All starting above $140k. Manchester and Southhampton are past Tobacco rd. And guess what? They start aT $190k and $170k.
Manchester 5 diffrent phases
http://appweb.augustaga.gov/planning_zoning/Plazid_Results.asp?pro=manch...
SouthHampton
http://appweb.augustaga.gov/planning_zoning/plazid_display.asp?zID=3894
Richmond Estates
http://appweb.augustaga.gov/planning_zoning/plazid_display.asp?zID=3963
Granwood Estates
http://appweb.augustaga.gov/planning_zoning/plazid_display.asp?zID=3966
These are only a few of the new neighborhoods in South Augusta. There is the estate section of Walton Farms, Lakes at Spirit Creek(starting at 215k), South Lake Estates, Windsor Townhomes, Longpoint townhomes, etc...
Since they're building all these new homes(200k-300k and up past tobacco rd) people are definitely moving to South Augusta.
Cross Creek is the largest school in Richmond county. At 1,400 students in South Augusta.... They will have to build another high school in outer South Augusta, South Richmond, Mcbean, Blythe, or Hephzibah. That whole side of Richmond county has all the land. I know a new magnet school will be built(opening mid 2012) near Augusta Tech campus in South Augusta. But that's only 800 students.... Cross Creek and Hephzibah are the only high schools that serve outer South Augusta, Gracewood, Goshen, Diamond Lakes, South Richmond, Mcbean, Blythe, Hephzibah. Hephzibah has a elementary, middle, and high school. Goshen, Gracewood, Diamond Lakes, Blythe, and Mcbean have there own elementary schools. The area is growing REALLY fast. They had to build Deer Chase elementary and Diamond Lakes elementary a couple years ago. Pine Hill Middle opened off Brown rd in 2009 in Hephzibah. When you ride past Willis Foreman rd and enter the city of Hephzibah. You can find several million dollar homes in Hephzibah. The NSA, FT. Gordon, and Plant Vogtle are very close to this whole side of Richmond county.
Leave it to countyman to completely change the subject.
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