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)