Nearly quarter of downtown Augusta’s office space empty (Atlanta: lease, lofts)

[Airforceguy]

I think much of this vacant office space would be better suited as retail or residential space. The fact is that outside of the Augusta Corporate Center and the new Georgia Cyber Center, there isn't much Class A office space in Downtown Augusta. Also I had no idea that people are now calling lower Broad "SoBro".

Despite a red-hot residential market and a thriving bar and restaurant scene, Augusta’s central business district has 350,000 square feet of vacant professional space, according to a market analysis commissioned by the Downtown Development Authority in late 2016.
Though the study of downtown’s 1.5 million square feet of office space is 18 months old, authority Executive Director Margaret Woodard believes the current vacancy rate is close to the 24.3 percent rate calculated in late 2016.
“There is still a surplus,” Woodard said.
Woodard said the new study would account for leasable space at the massive Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Center for Innovation and Training as well as TaxSlayer’s “innovation and technology campus” in the former Family Y building and Atlanta-based SharedSpace’s plan to turn the former state probation office at 901 Greene St. into low-cost co-working space.

Moving the Augusta office from the suburbs to downtown cut the commute in half and made it easier for Kate Sanders, the firm’s Augusta-based partner, to work with the company’s largest accounts.
The move also put the 22-employee firm in an up-and-coming section of lower Broad Street that some have called “SoBro” – for “south of James Brown Boulevard.”
“Everybody really fights for those 10th to 13th blocks,” Alison South Partner Ron Turner said. “We wanted to put our money where our mouth is down here where people are starting to renovate.”
Some who plant a flag in downtown choose to buy instead of lease, such as the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau, which purchased the former antique store at 1010 Broad St. to house its offices and the city visitor center, and Loop Recruiting, which plans to renovate the boarded-up building at 972 Broad St. into offices.

The 8,000-square-foot structure that Loop purchased last year housed the Bee Hive children’s clothing store. Loop co-founder Charlie Wall said he expects construction to begin this month and be completed in early January.
The human resources firm and its development partner, Milestone Construction, will occupy most of the space, with Loop occupying the entire first floor. The remainder, about 1,200 square feet, would be available for lease.

Nearly quarter of downtown Augusta's office space empty - News - The Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, GA

[GRU_Minion]

Would be interesting to see a map of where most of the empty space is concentrated. I would venture to guess it's mostly "SoBro" (I have a feeling that means South Broad and not whatever James Brown Blvd relation the article quotes...). I will say what I've always believed, which is moving residents of Richmond Summit elsewhere and either making that office space or renovating into lofts or similar would be a great start to revitalizing that end of Broad. Until that happens, businesses will be deterred by the street-level issues brought about by Richmond Summit's presence downtown.

[Airforceguy]

Originally Posted by GRU_Minion

Would be interesting to see a map of where most of the empty space is concentrated. I would venture to guess it's mostly "SoBro" (I have a feeling that means South Broad and not whatever James Brown Blvd relation the article quotes...). I will say what I've always believed, which is moving residents of Richmond Summit elsewhere and either making that office space or renovating into lofts or similar would be a great start to revitalizing that end of Broad. Until that happens, businesses will be deterred by the street-level issues brought about by Richmond Summit's presence downtown.

I agree with you 100 percent. Richmond Summit has got to go. I think the residents there would be better housed in a facility outside of downtown. IMO, subsidized housing for the poor and elderly should never be located in a city's downtown area.

[AUGnative]

Totally agree about Richmond Summit. Notice how downtown becomes a dead zone at Richmond Summit and beyond. That place is a cancer on downtown. Also the parking pits don't help that section of downtown either