A two-part development in the heart of North Augusta, combining new construction with historic preservation, is getting close to completion.
Beacon Bluff, a mixed-use project announced in late 2023, is a 36,000-square-foot project across the street from the North Augusta Municipal Building. It is renovating a historic building that once housed a skating rink and later a carpet shop, on Georgia Ave. It also has a new building which will include retail, restaurants and professional space.
“We are working on the courtyard that is between the two buildings, the rink building that we renovated and the new building, and we’ll be finishing that up and putting in the remainder of the parking lot,” Brett Brannon, President of Palmetto Peach Development, told ABD. “We’ve got some canopies to hang and some exterior lights to put on, and then we’ll be getting pretty close. I suspect we’ll finish up the shell of the building probably mid-April”
Brannon, who is also chairman of the board of the non-profit North Augusta Forward which focuses on downtown development, anticipates tenants, including the new Brinkley’s Tavern on the Bluff, will start moving in mid-to-late May.
“From there, it’s just a matter of leasing the rest of the space up and finishing up their other tenant upfits,” he explained.
Fleet Feet and Boss Bowl are both open in the renovated skating rink, however, one previously announced tenant will not be opening.
“One thing people have been asking me about is the Melty space. The franchisee for Melty locally declared bankruptcy, so they will not be going into the space. We have signed a letter of intent for a different restaurant, that’s evaluating putting a restaurant in there,” said Brannon.
In addition to the retail and professional tenants, Beacon Bluff includes four apartments. Brannon says one has already been leased.
“The biggest problem we’re running into is people call and want to know when the apartments will be available, because they perceive them to be in the new building, especially with the balconies and we say, ‘Well, the apartments are ready now’, and that surprises all of them,” he said. “They’re trying to plan for three or four months out when their leases come up. So, I think when all the construction’s done, then we’ll start getting calls about people who are really serious about leasing.”
A companion project to Beacon Bluff, announced in January 2024, is the conversion of the Medac building. It will become the Augusta Oncology (AO) Multispecialty Clinic. Brannon said the operation of the clinic is being phased in, with some patients receiving care in the new space.
“I think they are rapidly approaching 100 new patients having been treated there,” said Brannon. “They are beginning to transition some of their services from other locations and moving those staff into the building; they’ve got a transition plan that I think takes them through the end of May just one specialty at a time.”
North Augusta is currently seeing major projects underway or announced. The Hive, developed by McKnight Engler, is being built at exit one off Interstate 20. McKnight Engler’s website anticipates just over 1,600 residential units and more than 489,000 square feet of commercial development including hotel and retail establishments.
That project is different from what Palmetto Peach is doing along Georgia Ave. Brannon said Beacon Bluff is what is known as infill development, utilizing existing buildings and land with a smaller footprint.
“When you do infill development in a downtown where the real estate is much more finite, what you can deal with, just like the rink, you’re dealing with existing buildings that you’re trying hard not to tear down,” he said. “You’re trying to retain that history. I do think for a community to maintain its personality, and you read a lot on social media about people really not wanting North Augusta to lose the character of a small town, and I think unless you have infill development taking place, that’s what you’re at risk for. Everything gets mowed down, and everything new gets put up.”
Palmetto Peach is sinking $35 million into Beacon Bluff and the Medac building. Brannon said no public funds have been used to finance the projects.
