Group studies buying depot

A piece of riverfront property, owned by city pensioners and managed by elected officials, is being considered for purchase by the Downtown Development Authority, the revitalization group's executive director said Tuesday.

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The possible purchase, which is expected to be discussed later this month at a special called meeting of the authority, has been talked about privately for several weeks, said Chris Naylor. He serves as the executive director of the authority and Main Street Augusta, the downtown merchants group.

On Tuesday, Main Street got the OK from pensioners and city leaders to rent the Reynolds Street property for the next six Saturdays for a downtown farmers market.

Shortly after receiving approval from the pension committee to lease the property through next month, Mr. Naylor said the authority would likely come back with a request to purchase the 6.7-acre parcel, which is the site of an old railroad depot.

The depot was recently vacated by an antiques dealer who had failed to pay rent on the property for two years.

The railroad depot could be the site of a future office building for Main Street Augusta and the development authority, he said; the surrounding land could be used permanently for the farmers market.

The land, which recently was being considered as a possible site for a new judicial complex, is now being marketed for private sale. Pensioners say they would like to cash in on what has been viewed as a poor investment.

"That'd be good if they want to buy it," said city pensioner and former City of Augusta Police Chief James Beck Jr. "That'd be fine. We just want to sell it and put the money back in the (1949) pension act.

"They need to put that money back where it belongs," he said.

Reach Heidi Coryell Williams at (706) 823-3215 or heidi.williams@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Wednesday, September 17, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle