James Brown's "homegoing" celebration gave new glory to the old Augusta civic center recently renamed in his honor; however, Mayor Deke Copenhaver says the positive vibes might not be enough to keep the coliseum around.
"Ultimately, I do think the city is going to have look towards another arena at some point," said Mr. Copenhaver, who believes if the coliseum is torn down, its replacement still should be named for Mr. Brown and remain downtown.
J.R. Riles, who originally proposed renaming the arena after the Godfather of Soul, is geared toward preservation. He said it would be a historic loss to tear down the building after Mr. Brown lay in his gold casket there Dec. 30.
Instead, he said, the condition of the arena should be raised to a standard that honors Mr. Brown and also better suits the concert industry.
"Since it's become a historic site now, we can remodel the civic center," he said. He added the possibility of making it smaller should be examined since he said performers have moved toward using smaller venues.
Mr. Copenhaver said in an interview last week he isn't convinced that it's possible to renovate the building to cater to the needs of modern special events.
Because no timetable has been set for a new arena, he said he supports, and believes the Augusta Commission supports, providing money for arena renovations in the meantime.
Mr. Riles said it's high time city leaders showed more support for Mr. Brown. He said none of them has ever done anything for him, except for former Augusta Mayor Bob Young.
City leaders balked at renovation proposals before the facility was named after Mr. Brown. They rejected the Coliseum Authority's request in 2005 to include the project in a special one-cent sales tax initiative. Then, the authority asked again in July and was brushed aside with a response of maybe, Mr. Riles said.
However, Mr. Brown's death likely will change the commissioners' stance on the arena, said political observer Dr. Ralph Walker, the director of the Augusta State University research center.
"It's sort of been the center of attention, and when that happens, politicians tend to go with public opinion," he said.
How the city would fund the improvements in the meantime - through bond money or a special purpose local option sales tax - Mr. Copenhaver couldn't say.
But if they did pursue funding that needed voter approval, now would be the time to do it, Dr. Walker said. He said a referendum with Mr. Brown's name attached to it would have a high probability of passing, especially so close to his death.
For the arena, the death has magnified what began as a marketing ploy to draw attention to the facility through the internationally recognized soul singer's celebrity status.
The renaming, which took place in August, drew notice around the world. But now, it appears to be giving the arena a spot in musical history, which might not have been intentional but was sought once Mr. Brown died.
Shortly after his death was confirmed, officials began moving to hold the public funeral there. And Coliseum Authority member Richard Isdell even suggested Mr. Brown be buried at the site.
Regardless of whether the renaming or the public ceremony there makes the building historic, Mr. Riles said it proved to be a milestone for the struggling arena nonetheless.
"It was filled for the James Brown funeral, and it's been a long time since it looked like that."
Reach Justin Boron at (706) 823-3215 or justin.boron@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
this one is simple...
tear it down...
build a brand new modern facility that could host any type of show....
bring in the big bands that skip the current arena and play surrounding cities that have modern facilities...
& name it the james brown arena in his honor....
simple.
I agree, that sounds great!!
Renovating the current coliseum is the wrong way to go. The cost over runs would make it more expensive then replacing it and the building has already proven to be undersized or oversized for most events. The location speaks for itself. I guess that means the commission will go forward with a renovation. Please excuse my pessimism, but the record of the commission is not good.
Boy, all of you sure are up early! I am all for everything JB did. If we build a new arena, we need to do it for Augusta not for JB as the article mentions. There is nothing wrong with a city having more than one arena. Renovate and continue having functions that has proven to be size appropriate. Augusta has too many projects that go incomplete. I strongly feel that before anything else gets done even the condominium prooject we must first reach a decision as to do witih a whole regency mall and movie theater. I think that kids need a skating rink that is multicultural. My son went to red wing and was the only white there.
As the title of the article says coliseum, we changed the name from civic center to arena - now stop calling it the coliseum. Big cities have several arenas, coliseums, civic centers, auditioriums ---be name specific!!!! These journalists can do better.
I don't think Augusta can support one arena and certainly not two. Just because James Brown's gold casket was there is not a good enough reason to keep and restore the arena. Pretty soon they will want to preserve the highways his body was driven on and the ground he walked upon. Wake up folks, he was not a God!!! He was a entertainer that made mistakes and had problems like you and me. Tear down the current arena, build one that can support big name entertainment and rename it the James Brown Arena!! I really don't think Augusta is the type of market that will and can support big name entertainment, regardless of the size and type arena.
I agree wih building a new facility. The James Brown Arena is in need a great deal of improvement. It will not be cost effect to renovate the Arena. Yes, build a new one and name it after Mr. Brown. If you build a new facilty the public will come and artist around the world with be there. Mr Brown could still be honored.
It makes sense to build a new one so that means that the commissioners will renovate the old one. That thing was outdated the day it went up. I mean the location near the trantracks is horrible. Augusta can't suppport two arenas. I just hope that they don't build a new modern arena and leave the the old . Then we would probably have the new arena for white folks and the old arena for black folks. Knowing the backwards thinking of Augusta they will probably cry racism if they move to build a new one and tear down the old one so they better rename it James Brown Arena and some of the whites wouldn't feel comfortable naming their arena after a black man. It will take 5 years before they even agree on where to build it. With each passing day I feel better and better about leaving Augusta.
eteach, have you ever heard of a concept called a synonym? Coliseum is an acceptable synonym for arena. And it's an OK word to use. There are no other arenas or coliseums in Augusta, so does it matter?
The only thing historic about the arena is it's history of mismanagement and failure. It is past time to tear it and the Coliseum Authority down.
before the city of Augusta demolishes/renovates,or even thinks about the civic center they should be thinking about other parts of downtown! Downtown August awill never survive if they don't invest in it! Sure there's Riverwalk, and that's about it; Broad Street, and all of the other historic districts need to be revitalized similar to cities lke Savannah and Athens have done. Augusta has a large population for a city with a shabby downtown. The projects that are proposed for downtown like the condominium project should be thoroughly supported by the poepl and the city if they ever want to have a thriving econoomy again. As for the coliseium, it needs to be demolished. YEsterday a colisieum in New Haven, Conneticut was demolished also(though for different reasons), and with a new facility on or near the same spot, this could reviatalize parts of downtown that were never sought after for building projects or anything. We need to use these projects to the fullest of our advantages and get with the game, instead of behind it.
Another valuable piece of property the commissioners need to do something with is the Regency Mall, it has sat vacant too long! Tear it down before it totally falls down.
The current arena was too small to attract big names when it was built and it is too small today. If Augusta is going to attract anyone to perform here we need to build a larger more modern center. There would be NOTHING wrong with naming the new center after Dr. Brown. Besides it is really no honor in being the namesake of a run down, falling down structure that can not be of any real use.
Another point that most people seem to miss is now that the Godfather has died, Richard Isdell sure has jumped on the bandwagon. He acts like he is a big supporter of Dr. Brown's burial at the arena but I remember a few months ago Isdell was fighting everyone who was trying to rename the center. He even voted against it when it came to a vote. Now that he thinks there may be a little profit involved he acts as if he is the city's largest supporter of Dr. Brown. I really hate hipocrites !!!
If anything needs to be done most definitely put a better sound system, make it look more state of the art & expand it. But if the commission can't agree on that then hopefully Columbia County government will find land & build one & reap all the profit for the county.
Please keep that mess in Augusta == We dont need anything with james browns name on it in Columbia County.
I am not in politics, but i know enough too see what is a solution. First thing first is to figure out why people, business are moving out of augusta and with few moving to and no businesses moving to augusta. I think this is b/c of crime, and lack of benefits of being in augusta. We need to clean up the city and give reason for new business. Cities our size all over america are progressing and we cant even decide on what to do with an outdated arena. Augusta needs attractive housing. Cities are building upscale condiminuims which attract business and people with business sense which in turn mean progress. We had the plans of and upscale condiminium ready to be built but was shot down b/c it was too tall. Give me a break. The commission needs to think along with the mayor. More deputies=less crime=more people, business to augusta. Quit spending time on tring to agree on what to name after an entertainer that was a wife-beater and drug addict and get city business done. Put priorities of augusta first not on how to fund a music festival or where to put a statue. THINK COMMISSION it dont take a genuis to see what needs to be done.
Why build another colliseum downtown where it will only be a burden on the taxpayers.....Augusta did that...It didn't work....Don't they ever learn from their mistakes?........A colliseum may be profitable if it is put in a good location near I-20 or I-520.......Putting a new one downtown is simply a waste of money.
I agree with most of the responders in tearing the current arena down and building a more modern day facility. In doing so, we will be able to kill two birds with one stone by having a more suitable arena that will honor the Godfather of Soul versus the dilapidated one we have now in his honor. Second by building one in its place it will give some spark to revitalizing a downtown which is in dire need of help. Too many things are being push on the outside area of Augusta's downtown, which ultimately hurts the city more leaving the city's core in shambles. With one thing known for sure, without a strong core the city is practically being built on sand.....eventually sinking all the nice decorations that are being built on the outside with it.
The second largest city in Georgia with the second smallest colliseum. Make it the final resting place of James Brown.
The second largest city in Georgia with the second smallest colliseum. Make it the final resting place of James Brown.
Datboy,
It is not possible to build a new one in the same location. They are land locked there. To build a building you have to allow enough parking places for the capacity of the building. Not only does the current location not have enough space for a larger building but they do not have anywhere to add parking for the increase in size of the building. To build a new center it will have to be moved to another location.
whos in the world is J R Riles?????? He thinks "it would be a historic loss to tear down the building after Mr. Brown lay in his gold casket there Dec. 30.he said, the condition of the arena should be raised to a standard that honors Mr. Brown. Mr. Riles said it's high time city leaders showed more support for Mr. Brown. He said none of them has ever done anything for him". IS this Riles dude a joke?? The city does not owe the man nothing!!!! How in the hect is the building a "historic site"!!!! give me a break. The african american people in augusta, we need to damn wake up. A standard to that honors Brown!!! The man was an abuser, drug user, and RILES wants to talk about standard!!!! Everyone talks about the Turkey give aways. They were donated for him to pass out!! People get over, I dont see many visitors going to Beech Island to tour his home. Get over trying to be Graceland. I swear the government officials in Augusta, get your head out ur you know what. Stupid, Stupid people. one daughter a drug user from Atlanta, 2 daughers tried to sue Brown and now on stage, on camera, a phony act the whole funeral. and Deanna Brown on Larry King live, another joke
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