Cleaning crew helps downtown

Officials have one thing to say to downtown property owners who don't want to clean up graffiti from their buildings: Call us.

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Chris Thelen/Staff

Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative workers Zhivago Ramsey (left) and Wilson G. Butler II work on removing graffiti in downtown Augusta. The group charges business owners $50 to clean it off.

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Chris Thelen/Staff

Rick Wiggins, the initiative's project manager, uses a pressure washer to remove graffiti. A survey found nearly 120 markings downtown.

For $50, the green-clad Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative employees will remove the offending markings from properties in the city's 30-block Business Improvement District.

"We want to urge property owners that if they don't want to deal with it, we'll be happy to remove it," said Margaret Woodard, the director of the Downtown Development Authority, which oversees the cleanup initiative known as CADI.

CADI recently completed a detailed survey that identified all graffiti in downtown Augusta and found nearly 120 markings on buildings, mostly in the alleyways of Ellis and Jones streets, she said.

Property owners will be asked to sign a waiver to approve the services. CADI officials will soon visit all downtown properties to speak with owners about the program, Ms. Woodard said.

Removing graffiti quickly will discourage the artists and "they will find someplace else to go," she said. It also gives residents the reassurance that downtown is safe.

Workers will use chemicals, brushes and a pressure washer to remove most graffiti; some might require a sandblaster.

Most graffiti in downtown Augusta is artistic rather than gang-related, she said. Still, all inventoried markings will be reviewed by the sheriff's office.

Ms. Woodard said CADI has received compliments on properties that have been cleaned up.

"It was cheaper than I would have paid if I hired someone to remove it," said Janie Peel, the president of Prime Commercial Properties Inc., who had graffiti removed last week from the Woolworth building at Eighth and Broad streets.

CADI also recently removed 14 graffiti markings at Springfield Park, which is near Springfield Baptist Church.

Martin Rodriguez, the owner of Riverdogs Express, a mobile hot dog stand at the James Brown Plaza, had graffiti sprayed on his trailer six months ago. He applauded the anti-graffiti initiative.

"I think it's great that they're out there," Mr. Rodriguez said. "Since the inception of the group, it's been doing well. You can notice the difference on the streets."

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.