Q: How expensive is the master plan?
A: The writers of the Westobou Shared Vision Augusta/North Augusta 2009 Master Plan placed cost estimates only on its nine "market creation projects," which added up to an estimated $1.5 billion over 20 years.
Incorporating every idea in the master plan would cost an undefined amount.
Q: Where is the money going to come from?
A: Most of the development costs would be shouldered by private investors, land owners or developers, according to ICON Architecture Inc., the master plan's author. The "market creation projects" would be funded by public-private partnerships.
Infrastructure improvements would be the responsibility of the government entities. Public improvements can be funded through tax increment financing districts, tax allocation districts, special purpose local option sales taxes, municipal bonds or federal Economic Development Administration public works grants. In the case of low-income areas, the New Market Tax Credit initiative increases investment capital available for urban development.
Money from governmental agencies' capital funds would also be needed.
Q: What's the next step?
A: ICON recommends the North Augusta and Augusta city governments adopt the plan and assign development coordinators to advocate development initiatives and facilitate private and public commitments.
ICON suggests the cities also put up some "seed money" to implement the highest priority proposals.
Q: When are any of these projects going to get started?
A: A few are already in the planning stages, such as the razing of Underwood Homes on Sand Bar Ferry Road.
The North Augusta 2000 Foundation has envisioned a town center since 1991. "The municipal building is the first real project to implement the plan," said Skip Grkovic, the city's director of economic and community development. "One of the project areas was facilitating the town center development, and so over the past seven or eight years, North Augusta 2000 has assembled quite a bit of land in that area."
Q: Are they going to take my land away?
A: "It isn't like the plan is going to mandate the taking of a whole block," said John Shields, a principal with ICON. "People shouldn't feel threatened by this plan."
He said property owners who don't conform to a visionary map can remain and still be good neighbors.
Q: What are "market creation projects"?
A: The plan points out more than 40 individual projects, clustering some into "market creation projects" that can set a new direction for an area.
The idea is to create a strong regional attraction, something creative or innovative that lifts the cities' economic viability.
Q: "ICON is clearly putting the responsibility of getting these projects done on the various champions in the community," Braye Boardman, the chairman of the Augusta Tomorrow master plan task force, said Wednesday. Who are these champions?
A: Champions are members of the community, nonprofit entities, government officials or agencies that will step up to adopt a project and begin working to develop the idea.
Q: How is the plan going to be sold to residents in south Augusta, which was left out?
A: Officials will try to convince them that revitalizing the urban core will benefit the entire city.
"The urban core is the heart and soul of the region and is one place that we have in the CSRA that everybody can come and enjoy their cultural activities," Mr. Boardman said. "As things progress and get stronger in that urban core, they obviously filter out."
He said getting support from people outside the core will be important because residents will likely be asked to vote on bond referendums or additional sales tax money to fund some of the proposed projects.
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? ASK BUSINESS EDITOR TIM RAUSCH. REACH HIM AT (706) 823-3352 OR
icon.
