Chapter 4- Cities around Augusta, Georgia

Chapter 4- Cities bordering Augusta

     
Aiken, South Carolina

     This is the biggest city in neighboring Aiken County, across the river from Augusta. Aiken is a lot like Summerville in the sense that's it was a community intended fro rich northerners vacationing during the cold months of winter. The city grew in a diverse way until about 1950 when the Savannah River site was to be built in the county. The construction had a lasting impact to this day with much maintenance needed to keep the plant to standards and with new projects frequently being undertaken. The City has managed to sustain a higher income than the rest of Aiken county due to its continuing prominence as a spot to retire from the northeast. Aiken has a very good manufacturing base also with one of the largest tire plants being built soon and a large assortment of micro-sized manufacturers, machinists, mechanics and other manufacturing related trades.

     Aiken plays into the spectrum of Augusta housing in the sense of being a smaller, but still very southern town, in a slightly more rural setting. Aiken, like Augusta  has done a very good job at not tearing down its old structures. Many of the people who would like to reside in Aiken will use city services in Augusta. They will provide a good secondary market for expanding businesses in Augusta and they will provide for a diversity of labor for Augusta employers. 

  

Basic Data

• Distance from Augusta- Appr- 12 miles Northeast
• Similarity to Augusta (adjusted for size) (1-10)- 8
• Population-30,000 (The borders are small, Aiken feels like it is 50,000 people around the city itself)
• Median Income household- $52,000

Breakdown of employment by industry

• Manufacturing- 17%
• Professional, scientific, and technical services- 13%
• Accommodation and food services- 8%
• Construction- 8%
• Public administration- 7%
• Utilities- 6%
• Administrative and support and waste management services- 6%
• Other- 35%

(Aiken has a small manufacturing show where small vendors of custom made art, decorations and other items display and sell their goods. The whole point of this is to show the small shop and skilled manufacturer, that is crucial for keeping the consumption dollar all local. Most of the materials used to make these items are locally bought and sourced and the interconnections of a large group of small manufactures add huge trickle down effects into the economy, much more than the service sector, which mainly focuses on using resources more efficiently, while manufacturing actually creates the resources and materials that the service sector works with)

Arts

• Aiken Center for the Arts
• Aiken Perforning Arts
• Etherredge Center of USCA
• Jim Harrison Gallery
• Juilliard in Aiken

Equestrian Activities

• Aiken Polo Club
• Aiken Steeplechase Association
• Aiken Training Track
• Equestrian Calendar of  Aiken
• Paradise Farm 
• Progressive Show Jumping 

Entertainment

• Augusta Greenjackets Baseball
• Bisquecuts and Glazy
• Dupont Planetarium & Ruth Patrick Science Education Center
• Hole-N-One Family Fun Center
• USCA Convocation Center
• University of South Carolina Aiken: Pacer Sports
• Van Gogh to Go

     Evans/Martinez, Ga

     These two cities occupy Columbia County, the bordering county on the West side of Richmond County and the choice suburb directly for the city of Augusta. Evans/Martinez were small rural towns until the desire for suburban subdivisions swept America in the 1990's and the 2000's. These two cities are very new, infrastructure and average structure age are both a fraction of Augusta. Many of the subdivisions are already established neighborhoods with neighborhood owner associations and businesses catering to residential areas.

     Evans/Martinez are in-between Clark Hills lake and Augusta, Georgia and provide a perfect suburb outside of Augusta and unique to itself. Evans/Martinez fits into Augusta's housing spectrum by being the perfect place for traditional suburban living, such as fences, pools, bar-b-q's and a decent sized front yard. 

(Columbia County prides itself on having picturesque public facilities, plenty of outdoor activities and many others of the same relative income. It is not morally right or wrong, but just a fact, richer people cluster. Columbia County has facilities like this to attract new money into the CSRA, they give us that representation for higher income families and individuals, that otherwise, Augusta would miss out on. The culture and attitude is a reciprocal of Augusta's. Columbia County sets the standard for a high quality of living in a medium sized suburb)

     Evans/Martinez is pretty exclusively a bedroom community with only a sizable sector of professional services of the natives to sustain itself. Many of the homeowners in the neighborhood own businesses elsewhere, have retirement plans or some other way of drawing money. This is called the "New Money" side of town, as it has grown at the spite of Augusta's health, draining much of the tax base and uprooting many business owners to a more suitable environment to raising a family. 

(The government of Columbia County is enjoying being much more efficient than its neighbor, Augusta. The simple low tax and low spend mood of Columbia County is not seen in Augusta. The houses we see in Columbia County are partially a result of what goes on in this room and they are obviously doing well to grow and cater to their needs and circumstances. I give my hats off to Columbia County politicians for their efforts and scold the Augusta commissioners to learn from example and not excuse)

     Excellent schools and a growing event schedule of the cities entertainment make this a great place to raise a family and Evans/Martinez have won many awards on local, state and federal level for its schools.

Basic Data

Population (Evans)- 30,000

Distance from Augusta- Appr 8 miles

Median household income- $65,000

Similar to Augusta- 3

Population (Martinez)- 35,000

Distance from Augusta- Appr 10 miles

Median income household- $66,000

Similar to Augusta (1-10)- 2

     Edge-field, Graniteville, Mixville, Burnettown, Jackson, Beech Island, Gloverville, Belverdere, New Ellenton, South Carolina

     This is a mix of country mill towns that did not prosper as Augusta did in the manufacturing heyday of America. These small towns range from a few thousand to about 5,000 residents and each town constitutes a small purchasing base for businesses around. The economy of these towns have not found ways to recover outside of the manufacturing base leaving. 

     This area provides cheap residence for many citizens and is ideal for the surrounding manufacturing present in Western South Carolina. Even to this day these small towns have around 25% of the work force employed by a factory. This area is frequented by workers at SRS who want cheap and convenient housing temporarily. I think the place these towns serve in Augusta's economy is by bolstering our retail, whom these people will need to get somewhere with a high enough population density.  

     Some of these towns have been revitalized in parts. The trend of Aiken as a retirement community has pushed many retirees into the suburbs. These towns are quite rural and the land is real cheap for investments and housing. The demand for housing is very dependent on the nuclear plant and other industry related work.

Population

Edge-field -5,000- A small mill town North-West of Augusta, Georgia. 10 South Carolinian Governors and 5 Lieutenant General haves hailed from Edge-field County, a might proud accomplishment. This town can lend itself to Augusta by being a truly Suburban region that can tap into the consumer markets of Augusta, with their higher than average incomes. Augusta needs to be branding itself, on a consumer level, to places like Edge-field and their particular consumer base. An example will be boat repair, a shop close to the river would be central to a lot of small communities like Edge-field  whom lack the volume needed for a formal and truly professional shop environment.

Burnettetown- 2,500- This city is another small mill town, without the distinction of much history and desolate to the point of abandonment. This town really needs help and contribtes to the "Southern Ignorance", the "Cabin Fever" and other aspects particular to Augusta, and the South. 

Glover-ville- 3,000- (See Burnettown)

Mixville- Est- 3,000- (Same as Burnettown) 

Jackson- 2,000- (Same as Burnettown)

Belverdere- 5,000- (Same as Burnettown)

Beech Island- 8,000- A small country town, site to several plantations and other historic sites. Beech Island is famous for its residence of James Brown, the several manufacturing plants in the area and for farming. This local economy reflects a growing small town, a rare thing in the secular decline of small towns in the information age. The modern day modifications to a manufacturing built economy include a stronger than average housing market, a growing finance sector through a bank opening in the city in the past year to meet the new deposit demands of the nuclear sector workers enjoying the abundant land, pristine ponds and quiet life. 

(Beech Island is quite an old part of the CSRA due to very early settlements soon after Augusta's founding in 1732. These structures managed it through the years and now serve as good site seeing objects. The Beech Island historical Society gives a tour of all the plantations, churches and homes from the 19th century once a year, it is a growing tour with more and more people becoming aware of Beech Island and its proximity to Augusta)

New Ellen-ton- 2,000- This small town is similar to Beech Island, although by being smaller in size it captures the older sides of the county and its lower income, and not the new developments and sprawlcreated by the secular sector of SRS and its blue collar needs and Augusta, as an urban center. 

(A common duplex Mill home in these small South Carolinian towns. The architecture adds to the culture and distinctness of the region and the abundance also makes them affordable for rent, and very feasible to renovation projects to increase rent. The stock of existing houses like this will undoubtedly lead to many being demolished, and rightfully they should do so. The reason why many natives may not see this point of preserving historical homes is because they view them as criminal dens and  other negative connotations. Going to Atlanta, Columbia and Savannah I have seen places that have had heavy development in areas and lost, in entirety, their historical character. Places like these towns represent chances to save whole blocks of architecture and truly encompass the "Atmosphere" factor that goes into real estate prices and in satisfying the picky needs of home buyers around the world)

(Work floors like this was once full of people making textiles, furniture, tools and other items and being exported to the rest of America, but namely overseas. That connected the residents of this region with the worlds economy. The main problem for these small towns is that they do nothing that is adding to the worlds mix of commerce. The strategy should always keep in mind that it can be done, there are examples of small towns turning around. Beech Island represents a good example of a town that can gain in commerce and still be below 15,000. The economy of Augusta can obtain a stability through strong suburbs. These towns can continue to give Augusta a backdoor route to attracting very large manufacturers and the sometimes more attractive, South Carolina tax system and breaks)

Waynesboro, Keysville, Grove-town  Bath-Edie, Hephzibah, Blythe, Thomson, Wrens, Millen, Washington, Linconton, Georgia

     This is almost the same story as the South Carolina towns as far as economy  the history is a little different, with the economy of this side of the Savannah River being more driven by an excelling agriculture in the pre-slavery days and of a lagging period of not adopting industry like the South Carolina towns. 

     These modern economies are pretty small, add to the general level of consumers in the area and give people who want to move to the CSRA a good amount of options. The agriculture in the area is indispensable to the economy through enriching the farmers and giving Augusta a secular industry that is also in a industry secular bull market for many of markets that Georgian farmers in these towns can participate in. Particularly Soybeans, Peanuts, Apples and Peaches. 

 

(An average house in the outskirts of the CSRA)

     Waynesboro- 6,000- This is the Bird Dog capital of the world and the start of a large extent of agricultural  mineral, timber and other kind of natural resource use. Waynesboro is the center city of Burke County and serves as a place for business for the small surrounding towns and "villages" almost. Places like Waynesboro are being hit hard in their Downtown service use, as medium sized cities have been rapidly absorbing the countrysides population and drawn the talent to there. Wayensboro is a town that has old money in the ownership of land, industry and farms in the area, which it is abundant with. The citizens of Waynesboro almost all work in Plant Vogtle, or a service industry that survives off of is payroll trickling through the economy. The non-secular aspects of Waynesboro include an extremely cheap place to build a warehouse, with non-labor, Georgia labor, low property taxes and a business friendly atmosphere. 

(Waynesboro is very much "Blue Collar". Most of the jobs in this county require hard work, the ability to lift 90 pounds and comes with work hazards. The pay is better than average service sector work and the benefits of trade and production instead of consumption are felt in the trickling down of the local economy of Waynesboro)

     A problem of Waynesboro that I have seen in particular to other towns is the drug trade from larger cities in the CSRA that find good operations in the outskirts of the city. The small police force, lack of Federal help and a GBI force with Atlanta using up most of there resources, there is no public solution plausible and the problems growth has reflected that. The Criminal element of much of Waynesboro is indicative of the supposed income of the residents of the neighborhoods. The usual project lifestlye emphasizing gangster like criminal activity, the formation of gangs from a failed family structure and the facial expressions of the angst and presence of an area to sell drugs in. The constant paranoia, fear of robbery from other drug dealers and the ever larger quantity being funneled from multiple channels, locations and sources will only increase the violence, if the criminal structure of the drug operations continue in a street gang manner and not a mafia style or even cartel like structure found in states with large Mexican gang problems. The criminal element in Waynesboro reflects micro trends of the city itself becoming obsolete for 21st century globally connected economy followed by logistic trends of moving drugs from the Atlanta Metro up the East Coast, specifically the I-95 corridor on top of the technological breakthroughs of Methamphetamine manufacturing has made Waynesboro a place to sell drugs, on a medium to large scale. The residents an businesses in Waynesboro will have to survive with this, as before mentioned  there is no resources to help them, the lack of Political/Economical importance to the State ensure that it will be overlooked.

(Homemade Meth and the trafficking of Meth from Mexico has created a huge social problem in Burke County, one that has amazingly crippling effects on the economy itself. Waynesboro and Burke County are held back immensely by this secular national trend. How the law enforcement deals with it will be a huge, and not easily seen, factor in the future of the area and its economy)

     Keysville-335- This is a small village sized community in Burke County, around the East border of Burke County. It has a nursing home and that is about it. Small communities like this will be interesting to watch transits into the 21st century, as the worlds economy is largely going to be based on growth n the city for the foreseeable future. 

     Grovetown- 12,000- This is a small town in Columbia County, originally a somewhat poor and moderately criminal town. The town has done well to brand itself for future development with contractors for subdivisions. Cheap land, close proximity to Fort Gordon and continued growth in SRS and Vogtle will continue to flow the new workers into their modern day quarters. Grovettown has the potential for a lot of growth, with the borders of Fort Gordon acting as a buffer for the less family Tobacco Road and the Downtown Augusta facing side of the city being bound with largely military families, from earlier housing developments for a growing Fort Gordon. 

     Grovetown is a small Military city in itself, this has specific risks in the housing market being so reliant and tied to the growth and continuance of Fort Gordon. Fort Gordon is funded from the Department of Defense, who gets their money from taxes, which is reliant on politicians, whom are unreliable even to fund the government properly in a non-election year. Political beliefs aside, the risk is true and should be adjusted for by the city, as sticking your head in the sand from such a problem is sure to ruin the city in the chance the Fort Gordon does close down for a currently unforeseeable reason.

     Bath-Edie-Est 2,000- Another small community, essentially a couple hundred homes and the same amount of families This is another small jurisdiction that was, over the years, added to the city of Augusta. These small plots are almost to small to even mention, when compared to places with multiples of the population, but present the most unique rural aspects that may not seem clear in viewing other cities problems.  

     Hephzibah- 4,000- This is a city that started South of Augusta and North of Waynesoboro, mainly to serve the large farm population around the creek beds, lakes and ponds in the area and as a trading post. Hephzibah serves now as a retiree destination and should do well to continue their small town feel and should prosper relatively well off of low land values, extremely low property taxes and a booming manufacturing sector around the countryside. 

     Blythe-724- Blythe is another small community, mainly the remnant of some farms and a few families. Blythe could serve as a peaceful place for someone in the city to go to for relaxation. A 2nd home, or country home could be owned in Blythe. Businesses in small places like Blythe usually need to cover a broad range of services and be relatively affordable to many customer profiles. 

     Thomson- 7,000- Thomson is one of the most prosperous small towns that I have seen in person. The preservation of many historical building, the presence of a decent consumer class and a abundant labor market for skilled and service occupations makes a good mixed economy  The dense feel of the city itself affords the value creation that is achieved through spatial differences  The efficiency achieved in a dense setting exist in an desert sparse with customers and purchasing power. Thomson has some "Old Money" in the city, in the form of real estate and in business ownership, but has a mixed group of immigrants into the city. Thomson is a truly mixed economy and one that, if replicated on a larger scale, is much better than the economy of Augusta, Aiken or even Evans. 

Largest employers in Mcduffie County (Thomson is in the largest city in Mcduffie County by far)

• Shaw Industries (Plastic Extrusion) 570 employees
• McDuffie County Schools (Education) 606 employees
• H. P. Pelzer Manufacturer  (Auto Acoustics) 300 employees
• Two State/Thomson Roofing (Industrial and Commercial Builders) 105 employees
• Advance Auto (Parts Distribution) 425 employees
• Wal-Mart (Retail) 330 employees
• Milliken & Company (Textile) 130 employees
• McDuffie Regional Medical Center (Medical Service) 300 employees
• McCorkle Nurseries (Nursery) 200 employees
• Thomson Plastics, Inc. (Plastic Extrusion) 270 employees
• R. A. Dudley Nurseries, Inc. (Nursery) 120 employees
• Chardan Ltd. (Cut-N-Sew) 96 employees
• Temple Inland (Manufacturer-Particle Board) 113 employees
• Augusta Coating & Manufacturing (E-coating, Aluminum, and Steel) 113 employees
• W.S. Badcock Corporation (Distribution) 85 employees

     Thomson also has ready to market land available for large projects. The commitment to industry that comes from preparing sites for businesses in advance for sale shows the county is tied into the success of whoever moves in. The personal commitment with the companies that move in is intimate and personal for the choice and decision of the city. They will give heavy preference to the upper scale of trades, logistics and manufacturing. The latest property is "Stone Industrial", a 420 acre park right next to the mostly completed Advance Industrial Park, which is anchored by an Advanced Auto distribution center. 

     The Georgia Statewide marketing effort of "Georgia Work Ready Community" to possible investors adds State wide effort of coordinating the ease of running the gambit of regulations and hassles of opening an manufacturing operation in Georgia. They also ensure that employers are met by readily trained employees, which Georgia works closely to fit with the local Technical College. Mcduffie County is service by an Augusta Tech satellite campus, who has some of the most in demand trades being taught, in 2 year times periods usually. With students "in the pipeline" of many programs where employers are desperately seeking employees, like construction and skilled trades, employers are more at ease in setting up and forecasting their operations, and can focus on other things, like competition, or marketing and saving a lot of money on Human Resources to bring people in that are ready from day 1 to start working at 100% capacity. 

     Thomson, Georgia and Mcduffie County have an excellent website for promoting their city and marketing it appropriately for businesses and residential growth (http://www.forwardmcduffie.com/)

(The Small newspaper is alive in Mcduffie, despite the very serious and stern changes in the print newspaper industry. The Augusta Chronicle being the main news source in the area leaves this paper to pursue the small town events in detail and provides a very personal feel to the reader, as most of the things he/she is reading about is very close in distance and frequented in memory, being a small town)

(This is pretty much the major players in the retail/restaurant/hotel sector, and a proposed 25 bed hospital in the north of the map)

     Wrens- 2,000- This small town has a relatively decent economy in the city, as most of the buildings are not deteriorated and there are some opportunities for the residents. Wrens is an older set of citizens and has not seen the recent influxes of populace, like Thomson, Blythe, Hephzibah and many other on this list. Wrens is further away from Augusta then these others and is therefore not benefiting off of its arteries of economic activity, such as Fort Gordon or manufacturing. 

     Millen- 3,000- This is a very poor small town. It represents some of the worst conditions seen in America. Millen has a very old housing stock, a controversial political history and  is to far away from Augusta to benefit off of its economic run-off. Millen is not in competition with any small city on this list and shows very little promise for any kind of turn around whatsoever. 

     Washington- 4,000- This is a historical city to the West of Augusta. It represents some deep country living near Clark Hills Lake. Washington County was once famous for having one street light in the entire county. The simple living of rural agriculture is still very much present and Washington seems poised for development in the future for people moving in for farming and residential purposes. 

     Linconton- 1,500- This small town is a very wealthy one, being relatively close to Augusta, Columbia County and right on Clark Hills Lake and its retirement population. Linconton is a bedroom community and draws it money from the property taxes of the large homes that many people come from around America to build. 

(Linconton is known for its large picturesque homes. The people who live here are usually non-local and travel extensively, they do not see themselves as citizens of the CSRA as much as others in the region)

Chapter 5- South Augusta

Chapter 5- South Augusta

     South Augusta is the largest area of Augusta in population and geographic size. The growth and economic activity in this region is more insular than the rest of the city. The boundaries are considered to be the area South of South-gate on Gordon Highway, North of Hephzibah, East of Mike Padgett and West of Blythe. This is a large, semi-dense to rural region, most closely resembling a suburb of the city that grew with the sprawl of the 50's-60's, Augusta, economic heyday.

     South Augusta has a large amount of subdivision neighborhoods and currently represents the largest middle class population in Augusta. The military, skilled manufacturing trades and government positions provide a moderate income that seems to be rarer and rarer in our economy. The consumption and housing choice in many areas reflect this middle class, some lower and some higher, but most within a tight band-with. Incomes average $35,000 and housing around $60,000 for an average suburbia ranch home. 

(South Augusta supports many grocery chains, like Bilo, Food Lion, Wal Mart and Kroger. South Augusta also has a lot of pharmacy chains to support the older citizens medical needs and the smaller and more common everyday retail needs of South Augustinian residents. Many business in South Augusta are non-local and this leaves a lack of entrepreneurs in the area to direct business and the direction of the neighborhoods commerce. All excess profits in these businesses are not kept in Augusta, much less South Augusta, leading to a lack of renovation investments on a multiplied scale, as one retailer neglects their property it becomes more and more accepted for his neighboring businesses to do so also without a better option for the consumer)

     South Augusta has a large middle class existing next to a small class of poor citizens and an even smaller class of extremely poor citizens. Being well constructed, the homes are not slums, but other high crime features are present, such as high violent crime victim rates and an overall uneasiness felt in the neighborhood.

     South Augusta, being so large, has many of land for future industry, residential or commercial use. The abundance of people and the size of markets around allow for businesses that need a certain amount of traffic, unobtainable in 95% of the CSRA. The convergence of many highly traveled roads allows the amount of customers in an area needed for a steady consumption class. The spread out feel of South Augusta makes driving in cars necessary, as public transportation is almost non-existent and there are almost no dense regions.

     South Augusta represents a dying way of life in the form of the middle class American citizen enjoying a blue trade and a steady job. The globalization movements seen in the past few years, inflation eroding purchasing power and an abundance of labor at the lowest skilled ends of the labor ladder has led to the average wage earner quality of life declining severely. With the recession eliminating many of the cyclical construction jobs, the areas economy suffered abnormally hard. South Augusta is largely tied to the Federal Government, but the private ties that do exist are very much related to the health of the construction industry, the wages earned assembling buildings all over the CSRA are brought back to be consumed in South Augusta neighborhoods businesses, shops and stores. 

(Many South Augustinians work in setting similar to this and are tied to the national construction economy, which is very reliant on the economy being in an expanding condition, the mix of Federal dollars and constructions cyclical nature give South Augusta an area that will grow in a good economy and an area that will rarely be cut in a recession)

     The perception of crime for South Augusta is similar to Downtown Augusta. There is a much larger and worse perception than reality. The murder rate and violent crime rate is higher than the national average, but nowhere close to cities with much more difficult criminal problems and murder rates, such as New Orleans, South Atlanta, Memphis or Miami. South Augusta has had this perception slowing growing since the mid 90's, when there was a large shift in the suburbs population as neighborhoods became less and less "White" and due to actual crime. 

     The reality of the safety of most of the subdivisions in Augusta is not announced enough and many places still provide a moderately safe neighborhood at a very affordable price. These neighborhoods provide the utility of housing and gives the resident an excellent "return on investment" for their mortgage payment. There is a great balance between the cost of housing in these areas and the construction of new homes. The mid-tier subdivision ranch style house is built to last a long time and should continue to yield an affordable and appropriate place to stay for many lifestyles and citizens of South Augusta.

The Regency Mall

     The Regency Mall is a good example of Augusta's business in the 1970's through 1990's, desolate and despairing. I remember my mother shopping at this store mall when they only had Montgomery Ward and they were barely making it. It opened about the same week that the Augusta Mall down the Interstate a couple of exits. Many of the shops catered to the military and manufacturing middle class in the bordering neighborhoods. There was plenty of shops for retail and services for a comfortable middle class. The failure of the Mall to combat crime was partially a losing battle, the secular trend of violent crime, the crack epidemic and poor city planning led to the demise of the area and choked Regency Mall from the rest of Augusta's purchasing power, which was largely growing far away from this Mall.

     The bordering neighborhoods deteriorated pretty bad, and after a highly publicized rape of a notable Augusta woman by an average street thug that abounds the area, the mall was done for and abandoned in the heart and minds of consumer and entrepreneurs. The Regency Mall now sits vacant and many proposals have been made for its purpose. I think its uninhabitable and should be demolished and sold, if its owned by the city. If I was a city planner, I would demolish the whole thing and leave the land empty. The land has a lot of potential, the lot rent will be higher than the surrounding area if it is ready for new developments, but as of now, it is unforeseeable.

(Every year that goes by, more damage is done to the Mall, making it less and less feasible for any redevelopment effort)

     It is important to remember the purpose of a shopping mall, it is similar to the Roman Arcades, to provide a place for merchants to group together and make it easy for consumers to find them and spend money in the most agreeable manner to all parties involved. The easy facilitation of commerce in this mall was lost, sending the shops that were ran here into either the neighborhoods, Martinez/Evans or the Augusta Mall. South Augusta became much harder to do business in with this marginally important asset being lost. This was a true anchor to the area and drove moral down for all the surrounding area. There are few examples of a rapid change in the way of things, this was one of them. 

Diamond Lakes

     Diamond Lakes is a gem of South Augusta and a true community resource where I feel the investment was vastly recouped in public benefice. The outside recreation connects the people to a setting where they can enjoy the outdoors in a lifestyle where most of us work and live in buildings all day. The scenic landscape and the orderly laid out fields evokes a civic pride, similar to how the Romans must have viewed their athletic complexes. Diamond Lakes is a result of the movement of population South in Richmond County and a need for a large land park to conduct the largest public sports events hosted by the city, citizens and sponsors. Diamond Lakes allows sport leagues to be formed, for community members to share skills and knowledge through meeting, being a place for town hall scenarios and gets those whom may be a health liability in better shape, thus improving the human assets of Augusta. The exercising regiment of people are very different and an athletic complex and formal time to "Work out" fits most peoples demands. An active athletic regiment is excellent for the balance of activities that makes a lifestyle.

(Diamond Lakes used to host a NASCAR track, this memorial commemorates that and maybe one day we can get the track working again, especially with NASCAR being on of the fastest growing sports for the American consumer, and them having a huge fan base in Georgia/South Carolina)

     For some that live in Subdivisions, the scenic park acts as a step into nature and has calming effects on the primal conscious. For those constantly immersed in nature already (They live in a rural setting) it acts as a place to find other people to play sports, such as baseball or basketball. For the city dwellers, it is a place to spend the day, in a more picnic like setting. The park has many amenities and the space allows for every person to have a likely chance of being satisfied with their experience.

Amenities

• 286 acre park 
• One and 1.2 mile walking tracks 
• Three wooded picnic areas with tables and grills 
• Two playgrounds 
• Four fully stocked fishing ponds
• Sand volleyball court 
• Two horseshoe pits 
• Five-field youth baseball / softball complex
• Five-field adult complex: three 300’ fields and two 320’ fields
• Both adult and youth complexes feature:
• First level concession stand, restrooms, vending area, and umpire room
• Second level field observation deck with picnic facilities
• Third level offices and scoring tower
• Covered pavilion with 10 picnic tables and two grills

(Diamond Lakes from the sky in 2005, it has since expanded massively with new structures and sports fields/courts)

Important neighborhoods in South Augusta

     Peach Orchard Road (From its merger with Gordon Highway to Windsor Spring Road heading South)- Peach Orchard Road is the main road in South Augusta and serves as the connecting road for Downtown to the Southeast side of the city. Peach Orchard is the path to Downtown for all of the places South of Richmond County in the CSRA. The business on this road is mixed, between residential, retail, restaurant, simple services, healthcare, education and other simple operations. This is truly a road that serves Augusta's own domestic consuming class and the businesses reflect the preferences, or capacity of the South Augusta consumer.

(60's style architecture and strip shopping malls make this area look very trashy and ghetto, which has an effect on crime, which reoccurs in the form of a less desirable place to do business, which results in no new buildings, no businesses opening in the old buildings and no capital investment upgrades in the basics, such as parking lot maintenance, paint, stucco or new roofs being attended and applied to the areas businesses)

     Apple Valley- Apple Valley was a neighborhood built in the 60's style ranch homes in an industrial area, mainly, I suppose, to house some of the growing industrial and military base in the South Side of the county at that time (Augusta combined with Richmond County in 1996). Apple Valley has been struggling with gangs from further South in Richmond County creeping their way and influence into South-Central and Central neighborhoods. Apple Valley is walking a tight rope between being a decent community, indicative of the large swath of American middle class subdivisions, and a satellite of violent gangs in more dense areas of South Augusta. 

     Goshen- A relatively wealthy area with many beautiful homes and a strong sense of upper-middle class America. These occupants own many of the businesses in the Augusta area. This neighborhood is the most affluent one in South Augusta in the 60's style real estate boom. Goshen has only been surpassed by a new subdivision with the common cheap material and design such as many during the 1990's and early 2000's. Goshen has an established community connection for response to any housing projects, bus lines and other factors that may lower their property value is adhered to. This overall represents a neighborhood of merchants and entrepreneurs.

(5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, .25 Acre house in established neighborhood and only 1 year old, how much would you think this house in a city like Washington D. C., Chicago, San Francisco or even Atlanta? About $180,000 for this pad, a great showcasing of the cost of new housing in the Augusta market, a huge draw that makes this possible, if you can find a way to make an income to afford this in a "cheap" city like Augusta in prices)

     Pepperidge- This is one of the larger 1990's style ranch homes. Pepperidge is a massive community itself, being one of the largest neighborhoods in Augusta. This neighborhood is in the decline with the rest of South Augusta with the average household, but has some resistance with its community feel and large military population. With an abundance of true middle class homes in Pepperidge, it provides a good choice for those getting their first home. There is a small criminal element in Pepperidge, but it is largely non-violent and all bark, no bite. Pepperidge has a moderately larger income than the areas it borders, making Pepperidge attractive for the middle income families. The large neighborhood is also very easy to buy or sell a home, being its location and brand name as a good subdivision. 

     Richmond Factory- This is a grid style area with many homes from the 60's on and mobile homes from several different decades and styles. This neighborhood suffers from being far away from the city and leaving a lack of options for the residents in job choice and higher education. This is one of the epicenters of Gang life in Augusta. The size of the neighborhood and a criminal element from its origins has not dissipated  but accrued and grew. Richmond Factory was home to the largest gang in Augusta, The Georgia Deadly Boys, whom have disbanded, but whose members still live in the area and still active in criminal activities. The long and dark streets and the established drug market traffic make it an excellent place to commit robberies, rapes and other criminal doings. 

(a house in the middle of "Richmond Factory, on Oketo Drive, for $40,000, 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms. This price showcases the criminal element of the neighborhood more so than the aesthetics, as the condition of the house is at least worth that, so nothing is afforded to the lot rent, which apparently is adding absolutely nothing to the value of this home. Places like this present a challenge and an investing opportunity. This price does not seem right to me, even adjusted for the lack of value added in location. A real estate company or a large securities company in New York could turn these into some large redevelopment or real estate bundle deal. The growth in the REIT market, dividend paying investments demand and the ease of securitizing real estate should be utilized more in Augusta, appealing to all investors, worldwide and whatever size)

     Diamond Lakes- This is a new subdivision  mainly catering to a retired set of individuals with fixed income from pensions, retirement plans, social security and maybe a part time job. The homes here are new and very well built, a good exhibition of how affordable it is to build a house in Georgia. Diamond Lakes is a good asset to have very close to your house, as a community center, sports complex, library and for exercising. 

     Farington- This is one of the most crime ridden and savage subdivisions in Augusta. The drug traffic is very high and this is the gang capital of south Augusta, usually clashing with bordering Richmond Factory. The constant fights and such from the usual gang activity act as a catalyst in the area, which already has a large juvenile population looking to join a gang. Fairington is high in burglaries and shooting, most of which go unreported due to a lack of trust in police.

     South-side/Silverdale- These are 2 nice communities of homes on Peach orchard. They seem to largely be members of the local churches and this place has an excellent mix of safety, affordability and amenities offered. The area has many pristine subdivision homes, with manicured lawns and plenty of dogwoods and magnolias. The landscape reflects the hot and humid climate we have tamed. These neighborhoods have large military and manufacturing presences, many are long time residents and plan on living here for the foreseeable future. 

(Close cut grass, new roofs, flower beds, sweeped porches and no litter makes this place an agreeable place to reside)

     Meadow-brook- This is, quite sadly, another crime ridden subdivision soaking up the criminal stock of citizens that are moving from the city. This was a traditionally white neighborhood  unlike many of the other subdivisions on this list and has truly reflected the white flight seen in the area. A large military presence very affordable housing occasionally attracts soldiers, but this area seems to be a remaining class of original residents, who never moved out, and the revolving door of poor and criminal citizens, who bounce between neighborhoods such as Meadow-brook. 

(2 homes for sale in Meadow-brook)

     Barton Village- Again, this is one of the highest crime spots in Augusta and has been the focus of much police activity in its existence. Besides being a drug distribution center and a gang center of South Augusta, Barton Village is an originally bad neighborhood. The feeling of living in the middle of this neighborhood and being surrounded by criminal activity leaves no doubt to why the youth here become criminals. Barton Village feels like a island by itself in Augusta, due partially to the Fort Gordon Border preventing traffic from the West and few other entrances. The back yards, in the middle of the neighborhood are grounds for criminals operating outside of citizen and police control. 

(Despite the ranch style homes and some very well maintained homes, Barton Village is one of the most violent place in Augusta, Georgia. The man on the right put a gun to a child's head during a home invasion. This is indicative of the type of ultra-violent crime in this area of Augusta. Barton village usually registers a murder every year or so in a subdivision with about 250 families, giving it a murder rate similar to a New Orleans East housing project or a drug distribution quad style apartment in South Atlanta)

     The deep crime level of crime committed here allows the facilitation of other crimes, which abates the cycle of poverty, ignorance and violence, a very brutal way to live. The population here travels frequently through the Section 8 and housing projects in Augusta, on a revolving cycle, spreading and connecting the neighborhoods that cater to them. Many in Barton Village are from barrack style projects throughout Augusta and the South and to them, Barton Village represents a step up and opportunity, one massive source of a new market could be in bringing these citizens to the average Augusta, Georgia consumer, working a job and spending their paychecks in these neighborhood businesses that vastly need it. 

     Richmond Hill- A beautiful and picturesque area in the center of South Augusta, on a hill. Richmond has many of the most beautiful middle class homes in Augusta. The landscaping is mature, the roads are relatively freshly paved and appropriate for the amount of traffic. There is a "neighborhood" effect in most of the houses keeping their yard and home up and thus, keeping the value steady, or appreciating. Richmond Hill has managed to avoid the criminal element through active policing and a strong class of locals, whom have lived here for its entirety.

     Lumpkin Road- Lumpkin Road is a massive road in South Augusta. It has section 8 apartments, a community of Christians called Alleluia Community and a small mix of blue collar workers. Lumpkin Road is the connector of Gordon Highway, Deans Bridge, Peach Orchard and Mike Padgett, all roads with large amounts of traffic and potential consuming power. Lumpkin Road has still not managed to achieve the small businesses that it could with some small changes to the road itself. The large amount of traffic and a being a logistical point in Augusta should outweigh even the most unmanageable neighborhoods. Lumpkin Road should be the target of any investments steered towards improving the core of South Augusta. 

(The Fleming Heights/Faith Village/Alleluia Community area is an interesting one, with representatives from all of Augusta's classes of citizens. From the charitable Christians to violent and disturbed crack dealers, this area is truly interesting in its community features on all sides. People care and know each other in this neighborhood, even the criminals)

     South Central- This is a old neighborhood in the oldest section of South Augusta. The businesses and the residents in the area reflect the lack of consumption power of the citizens. The businesses survive on small revenues and serve well to keep the locals at work, although most of the business owners do not live in the same neighborhood. South Central is another criminal ridden ghetto, with major social problems. 

(An example of office space in South Central Augusta, this is the #1 reason that prevents corporations and foreign business from investing in the areas consuming sector. The lack of agreeable space and your neighbors usually being a half abandoned building makes it a forced choice to not do business elsewhere. The market severely punishes businesses who do not heed the signs of decay. It will take a large effort to reverse this and is far down the list of Augusta problems to solve, further deteriorating the area and eliminating the domestic labor market, further entrenching the criminal citizens into their lifestyle. The few jobs that do remain are indicative of the working poor class, low paying retail and fast food restaurant jobs which is secular in ways, but largely part of a national trend of low paying, part time, post-2008 job creation)

Crime in South Augusta



(Left- "Hood", one of leaders of the Georgia Deadly Boy. The gang has since broken up, but the members are still active in other sets and criminal activities. Right- Xavier Baker, a high ranking member in a Meadowbrook based gang. It is important to remember that the gang structures in Augusta are severely limited by geographic boundaries, like subdivisions or large intersections. The gangs do not form outside of certain neighborhoods and the majority of their activity is capped off in some select South Augusta neighborhoods. You need to be in the middle of plenty of recruits, crime and a drug selling environment  The natural conglomeration of these assets is the antithesis to regular business, but is exactly what you want to do if your running a bunch of loose and unorganized criminals)